The PERCH severity score can be used to evaluate an infant or child for the severity of pneumonia. It can help to identify a child who may require more aggressive management. The authors are participants in the Pneumonia Etiology Research for Child Health (PERCH) Study and are from multiple institutions from around the world.
Patient selection: possible pneumonia in a child from 1 month to 59 months (< 5 years), HIV negative
Parameters:
(1) age in months
(2) sex
(3) unresponsiveness and/or deep breathing
(4) cough
(5) grunting
(6) hypoxemia (oxygen saturation < 92% at sea level or < 90% at high altitude)
(7) maximum duration of illness in days
(8) Z-score for weight for height
Parameter
Finding
Points
age in months
1 to 11
2
12 to 59
0
sex
male
0
female
1
unresponsive and deep breathing
neither
NA (presumed 0)
deep breathing only
0
unresponsive only
2
both
5
cough
no
0
yes
-1
grunting
no
0
yes
2
hypoxemia
no
0
yes
2
duration
0 to 2 days
0
> 2 days
2
weight for height z score
< -3
3
>= -3 to < -2
2
>= -2
0
total score =
= SUM(points for all of the parameters)
Interpretation:
• minimum score: -1
• maximum score: 17
Total Score
Mortality Rate
<= 1
0%
2
3.6%
3 or 4
2.3%
5 or 6
7.1%
>= 7
23.6%
Performance:
• The area under the ROC curve is 0.76.
To read more or access our algorithms and calculators, please log in or register.
