What tests should be done if pneumonia in children is suspected? Pneumonia in children is easily confused with 3 diseases

What diseases should be differentiated from pneumonia in children? Experts say that in the clinical diagnosis of pneumonia in children, attention should be paid to differentiating it from the following three diseases. Let's take a look with the experts.

Which diseases should be differentiated from pneumonia in children?

1. Pulmonary tuberculosis

Infant pulmonary tuberculosis sometimes develops rapidly, but the lung signs are not always obvious. We should pay attention to the history of contact with tuberculosis, or use tuberculin tests and lung X-rays to confirm the diagnosis.

2. Tracheal foreign body

There is a history of inhaling foreign bodies, sudden choking and coughing. Due to the different locations and degrees of obstruction, breathing difficulties may vary. The obstructed side often weakens or disappears due to atelectasis, and percussion is dull. The trachea shifts to the obstructed side. A longer course of the disease may lead to secondary infection, which can be confirmed by X-ray examination.

3. Laryngitis

Hoarseness, a barking cough, and inspiratory dyspnea may be present, but lung examination reveals no rales.

Experts say that the main tests that children with pneumonia need to do are as follows:

1. X-ray examination: Experts point out that chest X-rays can directly reflect the pathological conditions of the child's lungs and are an important basis for diagnosing pneumonia in children. They can also distinguish the type of pneumonia through X-rays. For example, bronchial pneumonia is often manifested as non-specific small patchy infiltration shadows of the lung parenchyma; lobar pneumonia is a large area of ​​uniform and dense shadows that occupy the entire lung lobe or a segment.

2. Children with pneumonia also need to undergo blood routine tests, lymphocytes, eosinophils, etc. White blood cells are important defense weapons in the human body. When pathogens invade the body, white blood cells can phagocytize and eliminate the pathogens. Therefore, the total number, classification and morphological changes of white blood cells can roughly estimate the nature of the infection, the body's response state and the prognosis.

3. Sputum culture and drug sensitivity test are also one of the examination methods for pediatric pneumonia. They can detect the type of pathogenic bacteria and thus select appropriate drugs for treatment.