Determination of the Diagnostic Value of Chest X-Ray Findings in the Differentiation of Bacterial, Viral And Atypical Pneumonia in Children Aging from One Month to Fourteen Years Old Referring to Mofid Children Hospital in 2012-2013

Introduction: Approximately 200 million children under the age of five years are diagnosed with pneumonia every year and pneumonia is responsible for the deaths of nearly 2 million of these children; it is responsible for 1.5% of children’s deaths worldwide. Thus, it can be claimed that, pneumonia is of global significance, especially in case of children.

Method: The present descriptive, analytical study was conducted on children aged from 1 month to 14 years old. They are diagnosed with febrile CAP pneumonia in the infectious, pulmonary, and PICU infections in Mofid Hospital from December 2014 till the end of 2014.

Findings: In terms of radiological symptoms, the chest X-ray turned out to be abnormal in 100% of cases; 39.3% cases of infiltration, 19.1% cases of lung edema, 16.1% cases of opacity, 9.8% cases of pleural effusion, 10.1% cases of pre-bronchial thickness (PBT), 3.4% cases of collapse, and 2.2% cases of anemia were reported by the radiologist. With a frequency of 1%, pleural thickness, diffusion of emphysema and atelectasis were also a part of the findings of the chest X-ray.

Conclusion: The most common radiographic findings of the present study included infiltration, opacity and lung edema. Out of 123 subjects examined in Normak et al study, 93 subjects turned out to have alveolar consolidation or pleural effusion.