title: Role of chest X-ray in predicting outcome of acute severe pneumonia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Radiological appraisal in children with clinically diagnosed severe pneumonia and its association with clinical outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Civil Hospital in Himachal Pradesh.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-three children hospitalized with severe pneumonia.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Lobar consolidation (n=43, 51.8%) was the most common radiological abnormality. Twenty six (31.3%) had interstitial abnormalities and 14(16.9%) had normal chest radiographs. Clinical characteristics at admission could not predict a radiographic abnormality. Time to defervescence for outcome measures of fever and tachypnea was similar in children with consolidation, interstitial pneumonia or normal radiograph. However, length of hospital stay was significantly longer in children with abnormal chest radiographs on univariate analysis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Radiological findings in hospitalized children with clinically defined severe pneumonia have limited value in predicting clinical improvement.
authors.affiliation: Civil Hospital, Rohru, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. bhavneetb@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Bhavneet
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bharti
authors.forename: Ladbans
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Kaur
authors.forename: Sahul
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bharti
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D005260:Female; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D007223:Infant; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000382:microbiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013902:Radiography, Thoracic; D016896:Treatment Outcome