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Exams and Tests

Your doctor will check your temperature, heart rate, and blood pressure. A small clamp, which looks like a clothespin, can be put on your finger to check your blood oxygen level. Your doctor will listen to your heart and lungs to help determine the cause of your symptoms and the severity of your illness. If it is possible that you have pneumonia, you will probably have an x-ray of your chest. Blood tests are not very helpful in diagnosing pneumonia except in special circumstances.

• Influenza A and B are usually diagnosed clinically, which means the symptoms give the diagnosis-fever, headache, body aches, tiredness, cough, runny nose. No lab tests are needed. Sometimes, secretions from your nose can be tested to help identify the organism.

• Varicella pneumonia is usually diagnosed clinically because it usually happens during an outbreak of the chickenpox.

• If your doctor suspects respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a swab of your nose secretions can be sent for testing by a laboratory. Children and infants are more likely to be tested for RSV, because this virus can be more serious in them.

• Adenovirus and parainfluenza virus are not likely to cause life-threatening illness. Tests are rarely done if these viruses are suspected to be the cause of pneumonia.