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Once pneumonia has been confirmed radiologically, clinicians have few available data to guide the optimal timing of repeat films. Dutch researchers tabulated the results of routine follow-up x-rays among patients participating in a treatment study of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP).
Among 227 patients hospitalized with severe CAP (as defined by a standard scale), routine repeat x-rays at day 7 after diagnosis remained abnormal in 75% of patients, although 56% had evidence of clinical improvement. At day 28, routine repeat x-rays in 195 patients remained abnormal in almost half, although 78% were clinically cured by then. More-severe pneumonia (as indicated by multilobar involvement and high blood urea nitrogen and high C-reactive protein …