Clinical and radiographic evidence of pneumonia.

CONTEXT: Pneumonia is a common disease worldwide that can be fatal if not diagnosed and treated properly. The gold standard for diagnosing pneumonia is the chest radiograph. PURPOSE: A review of the literature identified the relationship between clinical and radiographic evidence of pneumonia within pediatric, adult and geriatric populations. RESULTS: The chest radiograph was frequently found to be negative in patients suspected of having pneumonia regardless of age. Pediatric populations show distinguishing signs and symptoms when pneumonia is present. Fever and tachypnea in children are strong clinical indicators that a chest radiograph is needed. No single sign or symptom predicted pneumonia with a high degree of certainty in adult and geriatric patients. CONCLUSION: The chest radiograph is a popular diagnostic tool in the care of patients suspected of having pneumonia but has a low diagnostic yield in many cases. The clinical utility of the chest film could be improved by careful clinical examination of the patient before obtaining the radiograph, especially in pediatric patients.