A patient presents with a 3-day history of high fever, productive cough, and new RUL infiltrate. Blood cultures and sputum culture are sent. The CNS recognizes the clinical and radiographic presentation most consistent with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Which scoring tool best guides hospital admission vs. outpatient management decision?
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A
APACHE II score — ICU admission criteria for severe infections
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B
PSI (Pneumonia Severity Index) or CURB-65 score to stratify mortality risk and guide site-of-care decisions
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C
SOFA score to assess organ dysfunction from pneumonia-related sepsis
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D
NEWS2 (National Early Warning Score) to detect clinical deterioration