A CURB-65 score of 0 or 1 indicates what level of mortality and preferred treatment setting?

• A. Low mortality; Home treatment
• B. High mortality; ICU admission
• C. Moderate mortality; Hospital supervised treatment
• D. No mortality risk; Outpatient antibiotics

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is that CURB-65 helps estimate short-term mortality risk in community-acquired pneumonia and guides where to treat. Each factor—confusion, raised urea, high respiratory rate, low blood pressure, and age 65 or older—adds one point. A score of zero or one means the patient has very few or no risk factors, so the likelihood of dying within the next 30 days is low. Because the risk is low, the preferred setting is treating the patient at home with oral antibiotics and ensuring good follow-up and safety-netting. Hospital or ICU admission is generally reserved for higher scores that indicate more severe illness. So a CURB-65 score of zero or one aligns with low mortality and outpatient, home-based management.