This document provides guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in immunocompetent adults. Some of the key points from the executive summary include:
1) The accuracy of clinical diagnosis of CAP by physician judgment is between 60-76%. Clinical prediction rules combining history and physical exam findings may help identify probable cases of pneumonia.
2) There are no reliable clinical features that can distinguish between typical and atypical bacterial causes of CAP.
3) Chest x-ray is essential for diagnosing CAP, assessing severity, and differentiating from other conditions. Posteroanterior and lateral views in full inspiration provide the best evaluation.
4) Chest x-ray findings