x

[starry lemonda]

x

[Mooby the Golden Sock]

Symptoms: Focused respiratory symptoms like cough, shortness of breath, sputum production

History: Past instances of pneumonia, medical history that makes one susceptible to pneumonia, history of disease that suggest likely viral/bacterial etiology

Physical exam: Signs of consolidation on lung examination/auscultation

Tests: Signs of consolidation on chest x-ray, lab tests, blood and/or sputum cultures, etc.

If you want to get an explanation from an internal medicine doctor, go to an internal medicine doctor. Pneumonia isn't really one of those things you want to much around with, if you think you have it go get checked out.

Do you think this board is crawling with pulmonologists or something?

[starry lemonda]

Mooby the Golden Sock

Who knows, one might pop up :3

[Villain Vanilla]

hard labored breathing with cold symptoms

but it could be influenza, or just a really bad cold

usually diagnosed by symptoms alone or with a sputum sample (coughed up phlegm)

bacterial much easier to determine than virus