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Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) - Indications for Initial Chest X-Ray in Infant or Child

Purpose: To identify an infant or child with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) who should have an initial chest X-ray.

Description

Bradley et al listed indications for an initial chest X-ray in an infant or child with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). Avoiding unnecessary X-rays can reduce exposure to harmful radiation. The authors are from the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society and the Infectious Diseases Society of America


 

Imaging for CAP: posteroanterior and lateral views

 

Chest X-rays are usually unnecessary in a patient with uncomplicated pneumonia managed as an outpatient.

 

Indications for initial chest X-rays:

(1) hypoxemia or significant respiratory distress

(2) hospitalized for management (to document size and nature of parenchymal infiltrates)

(3) failure of antibiotic therapy

(4) prolonged fever and cough

(5) unexplained abdominal pain with tachypnea, cough or fever

 

A key goal of imaging studies is to exclude conditions that may complicate management (necrotizing pneumonia, pneumothorax or parapneumonic effusions).

 


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Specialty

Objective

ICD-10