Acute Medicine | Respiratory | Severity assessment of pneumonia using the CURB-65 criteria

Severity Assessment of Pneumonia Using the CURB-65 Criteria
Session Overview
Description
This session covers the severity assessment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia, including the CURB-65 score and its use in formulating an initial management plan.

Learning Objectives
By the end of this session you will be able to:

• Determine the severity of a patient with pneumonia using the CURB-65 score and decide on an initial management plan

Every year, thousands of adults are admitted to hospital with a diagnosis of pneumonia. Pneumonia is associated with significant morbidity and mortality, especially if not managed properly. Effective assessment of these patients is therefore essential in order to determine the severity of their pneumonia and to guide further management. In a time of ever-increasing bed pressure, this assessment can also help to decide which patients need in-hospital treatment and which can safely be treated at home.

This session covers the assessment of patients with community-acquired pneumonia. It outlines the CURB-65 score and shows how this information, combined with other factors, can help to guide initial management decisions.