Improving the 2007 Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society severe community-acquired pneumonia criteria to predict intensive care unit admission

PurposeTo improve 2007 Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society (IDSA/ATS) severity criteria to predict intensive care unit (ICU) admission in patients hospitalized with pneumonia.MethodsA composite score that included the 2007 IDSA/ATS criteria for severe pneumonia and additional significant variables identified by recent publications was tested in patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia.ResultsAmong 787 patients hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia, 156 (19.8%) required admission to the ICU. We identified one major criterion (arterial pH < 7.30), and 4 minor criteria (tachycardia > 125 bpm, arterial pH 7.30-7.34, sodium < 130 mEq/L and glucose > 250 mg/dL) to be associated with ICU admission. Adding arterial pH < 7.30 to the 2 2007 IDSA/ATS major criteria increased sensitivity from 61.5% to 71.8% and area under the curve (AUC) from 0.80 to 0.86. Adding in sequence the four minor criteria to the 2007 IDSA/ATS minor criteria, increased sensitivity from 41.7% to 53.8%, and AUC from 0.65 to 0.69. In the new composite score, combining 1 of 3 major criteria with 3 of 12 minor criteria showed a sensitivity of 92.9% and an AUC of 0.88.ConclusionThe addition of arterial pH < 7.30 to the 2007 IDSA/ATS major criteria improves sensitivity and AUC to identify patients who will require ICU care.