Rome Proposal (COPD Exacerbation Severity)

Grades a COPD exacerbation at the point of care (Rome proposal, Celli 2021).

Open the calculator → Runs in your browser. Data leaves only if you deliberately send a problem report from the interactive tool.

Example

Dyspnea VAS
6
Respiratory rate
26 /min
Heart rate
100 /min
Oxygen saturation
95 %
C-reactive protein
5 mg/L

Result: Rome proposal: moderate COPD exacerbation - 3 of the five variables are above cutoff.

The tool opens with these values already filled in. Replace them with your own.

What the result means

Cutoffs
Dyspnea VAS 5 or more; respiratory rate 24 or more; heart rate 95 or more; saturation under 92% or a fall over 3%; CRP 10 mg/L or more.
Mild
Fewer than three of the five variables above cutoff. A single alarming number does not make an exacerbation moderate.
Moderate
At least three of the five above cutoff.
Severe
A separate gate on the arterial blood gas, needing BOTH hypercapnia over 45 mmHg AND pH under 7.35. Hypercapnia alone is not severe.
Scope
Grades an episode from measurements already taken. Decides nothing about steroids, antibiotics, ventilation or admission.

What you enter

  • Dyspnea VAS (0-10)
  • Respiratory rate
  • Heart rate
  • Oxygen saturation
  • Fall in saturation
  • C-reactive protein
  • PaCO2
  • Arterial pH
How this is calculated

Celli BR, Fabbri LM, Aaron SD, et al. An updated definition and severity classification of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease exacerbations: the Rome proposal. Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2021;204(11):1251-1258. Read the source ↗

A reference and educational tool. Not medical, legal, or financial advice, and not a substitute for clinician judgment.

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Built by Clay Good. Source on GitHub.