Treatment guidelines “Community Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in Children Guideline Group On behalf of the British Thoracic Society Standards of Care Committee” therefore have to assume that, where pathogens are isolated, they represent all likely pathogens. There is a clear need for better diagnostic methods. CAP can be defined clinically as the presence of signs and symptoms of pneumonia in a previously healthy child due to an infection which has been acquired outside the hospital. In developed countries, this can be verified by the radiological finding of consolidation.
In the developing world, a more practical termed acute lower respiratory tract infection is preferred, reflecting the difficulties in obtaining an x-ray. Ideally, the definition would include the isolation of a responsible organism. However, it is apparent from many studies that a pathogen is not identified in a…
