title: Pneumonia severity index compared to CURB-65 in predicting the outcome of community acquired pneumonia among patients referred to an Iranian emergency department: a prospective survey.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the prognostic value of the pneumonia severity index and the severity score for community-acquired pneumonia (CURB-65) in predicting mortality and the need for ICU admission of patients with community-acquired pneumonia referred to our emergency department.
  
  
  METHODS
  This prospective study was performed on patients with community-acquired pneumonia admitted to the emergency department of Imam Hossein Medical Center, Tehran, Iran. A questionnaire with demographic information, clinical signs and symptoms, laboratory and radiographic findings was completed for each patient. The information required for calculating the pneumonia severity index and CURB-65 were extracted from the medical records. The patients' clinical outcome was also recorded within a month after admission.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We studied 200 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (122 men, 78 women). The sensitivity and specificity of CURB-65 in predicting mortality were 100% and 82.3%, respectively. As for pneumonia severity index, the rates were 100% and 75%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity rates of CURB-65 and pneumonia severity index in predicting mortality and need for ICU admission were 96.7% and 89.3%, and 90% and 78.7%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CURB-65 seems to be the preferred method to predict mortality and need for ICU admission in patients with community-acquired pneumonia. Despite their comparable specificity and sensitivity, CURB-65 is much easier to implement.
authors: Imam Hossein Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors: Mostafa
authors: M
authors: Alavi-Moghaddam
authors: Hooman
authors: H
authors: Bakhshi
authors: Bareza
authors: B
authors: Rezaei
authors: Patricia
authors: P
authors: Khashayar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000401:mortality; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007492:Iran / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000401:mortality*; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D055815:Young Adult