Can pneumonia be reliably diagnosed without x-rays?

[riky]

Can pneumonia be reliably diagnosed without x-rays?

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Doctors may miss some cases of pneumonia if they rely solely on their patient's medical history and symptoms without the help of x-rays, according to a new study from Europe. Dutch researchers, who published their findings in the European Respiratory Journal, found that of 140 patients who had their pneumonia diagnosed by x-ray, doctors initially thought only 41 of them had the severe lung infection. "That's worse than flipping a coin," said Dr. Richard R. Watkins, who was not involved with the new research but has studied how doctors diagnose pneumonia. ...

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