SMART-COP score for pneumonia severity

The SMART-COP score is a clinical calculator used to assess the severity of pneumonia in patients. SMART-COP stands for Systolic blood pressure, Multilobar chest radiography, Albumin level, Respiratory rate, Tachycardia, Confusion, Oxygen, and pH. This scoring system is applicable to patients with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and is used to predict the risk of intensive respiratory or vasopressor support (IRVS) in these patients. The higher the SMART-COP score, the higher the risk of severe pneumonia requiring IRVS. The SMART-COP score is particularly useful in guiding clinicians in making decisions about the level of care (outpatient, inpatient, or intensive care) required for patients with CAP. There are no specific exclusion criteria for the use of the SMART-COP score, but it may not be as accurate in patients with hospital-acquired pneumonia or in those with certain comorbidities that can independently affect the parameters used in the score.

Reference

Babak Ehsanpoor, Elnaz Vahidi, Javad Seyedhosseini et al. Validity of SMART-COP score in prognosis and severity of community acquired pneumonia in the emergency department. Am J Emerg Med. 2019 Aug;37(8):1450-1454.