Pneumonia : CRB65 score ( NICE 2023 )

Pneumonia is a lung infection causing the lung's air sacs to fill with fluids, microorganisms, and inflammatory cells, hindering lung function. Diagnosis typically involves identifying symptoms of a lower respiratory tract infection and confirming with a chest X-ray that shows new shadowing not caused by other issues like pulmonary oedema. Pneumonia is categorized as either community-acquired or hospital-acquired, each with different causes and management approaches.

In the UK, 0.5% to 1% of adults annually contract community-acquired pneumonia. Of adults visiting GPs for lower respiratory symptoms, 5-12% are diagnosed with this condition, and 22-42% of them require hospitalization, where the mortality rate is 5-14%. About 1.2-10% of hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia need intensive care, with a mortality risk above 30%. Most pneumonia deaths occur in those over 84.

Hospital-acquired respiratory infections affect 1.5% of hospital inpatients in England, over half being cases of pneumonia not linked to intubation. This type of pneumonia typically prolongs hospital stays by 8 days and has a high mortality rate of 30-70%. There is notable variation in clinical management and outcomes of pneumonia across the UK.

The CRB-65 score is a clinical prediction rule used to assess the severity of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and the...