Investigations

• chest x-ray ^a  

Look for a pleural effusion ^a

Why?

• A pleural effusion increases the risk of dying in the next month ^a

• Radiographic shadowing, lobar distribution and changes over time do not usefully help distinguish infecting organisms. ^c
• Radiologists agreed moderately well about the presence of an infiltrate and a pleural effusions on chest X-rays of patients with pneumonia, but fail to agree about the presence of lobar pneumonia or air bronchograms. ^a