2002 Volume 77 Issue 7 Pages 499-502
The decision when to make chest X-ray examina-tion is important for early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculo-sis and community-acquired pneumonia as well. And for early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, differential diagnosis with community-acquired pneumonia is important. For this reasons, guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of commu-nity-acquired pneumonia should include when to make chest X-ray examination, and how to exclude the possibility of pul-monary tuberculosis. For example, empiric choice of anti-microbial for apparent pneumonia should be an agent without anti-tuberculosis effect. Clinical evaluation of the effect of anti-microbial should be done carefully, because pulmonary tuberculosis can be clinically improved spontaneously. In the guideline for the diagnosis and treatment of community-acquired pneumonia could include the above-mentionedviews on early diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis, the guideline could be much more helpful for the tuberculosis program.
