Division 3.1.10 PN: PNEUMONIA

Two or more serial chest X-rays or CT-scans with a suggestive image of pneumonia for patients with underlying cardiac or pulmonary disease. In patients without underlying cardiac or pulmonary disease one definitive chest X-ray or CT-scan is sufficient

AND at least one of the following symptoms

Fever > 38 °C with no other cause

Leucopoenia (< 4 000 WBC/mm³) or leucocytosis (≥ 12 000 WBC/mm³)

AND at least one of the following (or at least two if clinical pneumonia only = PN 4 and PN 5)

• New onset of purulent sputum, or change in character of sputum (colour, odour, quantity, consistency)

• Cough or dyspnoea or tachypnea

• Suggestive auscultation (rales or bronchial breath sounds), ronchi, wheezing

• Worsening gas exchange (e.g. O₂ desaturation or increased oxygen requirements or increased ventilation demand)

and according to the used diagnostic method