American Board of Internal Medicine (ABIM) Certification Practice Exam

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What is one of the CURB-65 criteria for assessing pneumonia severity?

Blood pressure above 90/60 mm Hg
Confusion
Respiratory rate below 30
Age under 65 years

The correct answer is: Confusion

One of the CURB-65 criteria for assessing pneumonia severity is confusion. The CURB-65 scoring system is used to help determine the severity of pneumonia and guide treatment decisions. It incorporates five specific criteria: confusion, urea level in the blood, respiratory rate, blood pressure, and age. Confusion is an important indicator of the patient's overall cognitive state and is associated with more severe illness and poorer outcomes. The presence of confusion suggests that the patient's pneumonia may be significant enough to warrant closer monitoring or more aggressive treatment and is also indicative of potential sepsis or other systemic involvement. The other criteria in CURB-65, such as blood pressure, respiratory rate, urea level, and age, also play vital roles in the assessment of pneumonia severity, but confusion specifically highlights a neurological aspect that is often linked to worsening health status in patients with pneumonia. Therefore, confusion is a critical component of evaluating and managing patients with this condition.