PSI Calculator

PSI score for pneumonia is one of the physicians' tools for estimating mortality in patients with Community-Acquired Pneumonia — CAP.

💡 CAP is basically a pneumonia which is not a result of a hospitalization — a pneumonia encountered in an everyday life.

The PSI calculators for pneumonia help medical practitioners make the right decisions regarding the treatment of the patient and their hospitalization, based on the patient's individual risk.

Another scale used for pneumonia assessment is CURB-65. (see: CURB-65 calculator)

Why is it essential?

Proper evaluation of the patient's state is crucial not only for reducing mortality and increasing survival but also for lowering medical care costs and elevating the satisfaction from the treatment. Research concluded that 91% of the patients are happy with their ambulatory care, compared to only 79% of patients pleased with their in-patient treatment.

Want to know more about pulmonary diseases? Visit our other pulmonary tools:

• Revised Geneva Score calculator for pulmonary embolism
• Pulmonary Embolism Rule-out Criteria calculator

Our pneumonia severity index calculator is pretty straightforward — it requires only one input, and answers to multiple yes/no questions (by checking the boxes) grouped in three categories:

• Patient's characteristics (8 variables)
• Physical examination findings (6 variables)
• Laboratory findings (6 variables)

1. Sex — Pneumonia in males may take a more severe course.

2. Age of your patient — Patients of advanced age usually have a higher risk.

3. Is your patient a nursing home resident?

4. Does your patient have a history of renal disease?

5. Does your patient have a history of cerebrovascular disease?

6. Does your patient have a history of liver disease, e.g., liver fibrosis?

7. Does your patient have a history of a neoplasm?

8. Does your patient have a history of Congestive Heart Failure (CHF)?

9. Have you observed any alteration in your patient's mental status?

10. Is pleural effusion visible on X-ray?

11. Does his/her respiratory rate exceed 30 breaths per minute?

12. Is his/her pulse over 125 beats per minute?

13. Have you observed a decrease in systolic blood pressure, with values under 90 mmHg?

14. Are you concerned about your patient's temperature readings? Look for values <95 °F or >103.8 °F (<35 °C or >39.9 °C).

15. Is your patient's BUN (blood urea nitrogen) over ≥30 mg/dL (≥11 mmol/L)?

16. Is his/her hematocrit lower than 30%?

17. Is his/her sodium (Na) lower than 130 mmol/L (130 mEq/L)?

18. Check the glucosereadings; look for values over 250 mg/dL (≥14 mmol/L — for conversion visit blood sugar converter).

19. Is your patient's pH lower than 7.35?

20. Check the partial pressure of oxygen and oxygenation of your patient — values under 60 mmHg (or <8 kPa) should bring your immediate attention.

Your result will include: 🌬️

• PSI pneumonia severity score;
• PSI class;
• Mortality rate; and
• Hospitalization recommendation.

To calculate PSI, use the table presented below to add up all the points accumulated by your patient.