A three-step diagnosis of pediatric pneumonia at the emergency department using clinical predictors, C-reactive protein, and pneumococcal PCR

The authors introduced a three–step diagnosis of pediatric pneumonia at the emergency department. They demonstrated that a model incorporating clinical signs and laboratory markers can effectively assess the risk of pneumonia. Children with negative clinical signs and low C–reactive protein (CRP) are at a low risk of having pneumonia. However, a positive blood pneumococcal polymerase chain reaction (PCR) can more accurately confirm the diagnosis of pneumonia, in children with positive clinical signs and high CRP.