The value of the CRB65 score to predict mortality in exacerbations of COPD requiring hospital admission.
OBJECTIVE
The CRB65 score, a risk stratification method validated for use in community-acquired pneumonia, has recently been shown to have utility in acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD). The objective of this study was to independently validate the CRB65 score as a predictor of mortality in patients who required hospital admission with AECOPD.


METHODS
The medical records of patients admitted to Wellington Hospital with AECOPD during a 12-month period from June 2006 were reviewed. Logistic regression was used to determine the strength of the association between the CRB65 score and death at three measurement times: in-hospital, 30days and 12months.


RESULTS
Complete data were available in 133/174 patient admissions. In-hospital and 30-day mortality increased progressively with increasing CRB65 score and was markedly higher in the CRB 3-4 group (3%, 5%, 29%, and 4%, 9%, 43% for CRB65 scores 0-1, 2, 3-4 for in-hospital and 30-day mortality, respectively). Differences in 1-year mortality were less apparent (24%, 25%, 57% for CRB65 scores 0-1, 2, 3-4, respectively). The CRB65 score demonstrated a modest value for predicting in-hospital and 30-day mortality with a c statistic of 0.68 at both time points.


CONCLUSIONS
The CRB65 score shows similar characteristics for predicting short-term mortality in AECOPD as its use in community-acquired pneumonia. We recommend its use in clinical practice, particularly in patients with a score ≥3, which is associated with a high risk of early mortality, and need for intensive hospital management.
Medical Research Institute of New Zealand University of Otago Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand.
Llifon
L
Edwards
Kyle
K
Perrin
Meme
M
Wijesinghe
Mark
M
Weatherall
Richard
R
Beasley
Justin
J
Travers
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000401:mortality*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index