This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
- Rani S. Gereige, MD, MPH*
- Pablo Marcelo Laufer, MD†
- *Editorial Board. Department of Medical Education, Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL.
- †Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Miami Children’s Hospital, Miami, FL.
Author Disclosure
Drs Gereige and Laufer have disclosed no financial relationships relevant to this article. This commentary does not contain discussion of unapproved/investigative use of a commercial product/device.
- BAL:
- bronchoalveolar lavage
- CAP:
- community-acquired pneumonia
- CA-MRSA:
- community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- ELISA:
- enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay
- HIV:
- human immunodeficiency virus
- hMPV:
- human metapneumovirus
- IGRA:
- interferon gamma release assay
- LRTI:
- lower respiratory tract infection
- MRSA:
- methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus
- MSSA:
- methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus
- PCR:
- polymerase chain reaction
- RSV:
- respiratory syncytial virus
- VATS:
- video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery
- WHO:
- World Health Organization
Practice Gap
The epidemiology of pneumonia is changing; chest radiographs and routine laboratory testing are unnecessary for routine diagnosis of community-acquired pneumonia in children who are candidates for outpatient treatment.
Objectives
The readers of this article are expected to:
Know the cause, clinical manifestations, differential diagnosis, and general approach to the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies of the different types of pneumonia in children of various age groups.
Be aware of the challenges that face the clinician in making an accurate diagnosis of pneumonia due to the inaccuracies and shortcomings of the various laboratory and imaging studies.
Know the complications of pneumonia in children and their appropriate diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
Introduction
Pneumonia is commonly encountered by emergency department and primary care clinicians. Childhood pneumonia remains a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in developing countries, whereas mortality rates in the developed world have decreased secondary to new vaccines, antimicrobials, and advances in diagnostic and monitoring techniques. (1) This review focuses on pneumonia in children: its causes in various age groups, clinical manifestations, indications for hospitalization, and the challenges that clinicians face in making an accurate diagnosis despite the new and emerging diagnostic tests.
Epidemiology
The incidence of pneumonia varies by age groups and between developing and developed countries. Worldwide, the overall annual incidence of pneumonia in children younger than 5 years is 150 million to 156 million cases, (2)(3) leading to an estimated 2 million deaths per year, most of which occur in developing countries. (4) Forty percent of cases require hospitalization. (5) In developed countries, the annual incidence of pneumonia is estimated at 33 per 10,000 in children younger than 5 years and …
Individual Login
Institutional Login
You may be able to gain access using your login credentials for your institution. Contact your librarian or administrator if you do not have a username and password.
Log in through your institution
Pay Per Article - You may access this article (from the computer you are currently using) for 2 days for US$25.00
Regain Access - You can regain access to a recent Pay per Article purchase if your access period has not yet expired.
In this issue
Jump to section
Related Articles
Cited By...
- ROLE OF LUNG ULTRASOUND FOR THE ETIOLOGICAL DIAGNOSIS OF COMMUNITY- ACQUIRED PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN: A PROSPECTIVE STUDY
- Mycoplasma Pneumonia in Children and Adolescents
- Management of Pediatric Community-acquired Bacterial Pneumonia
- Lung Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Children: A Meta-analysis