Can the BACES score predict clinical outcomes in a Dutch cohort with nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease?

<title>Extract</title> Determining the appropriate treatment strategy for nontuberculous mycobacterial pulmonary disease (NTM-PD) is challenging due to interpatient variability in clinical phenotypes. Recently, the BACES score has gained interest as a tool for predicting all-cause mortality in patients with NTM-PD [1, 2]. The model includes five easily obtainable components: BMI <18.5 kg·m⁻², age ≥65 years, cavitary disease, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ERS) ≥15 mm·h⁻¹ in males and ≥20 mm·h⁻¹ in females, and male sex, yielding a total score ranging from 0 to 5. Based on the total score, patients are classified into three categories: low risk (0–1), intermediate risk (2–3), or high risk (4–5).