Question

A 66 year old patient comes to the clinic with sudden onset of a fever, chills, productive cough with rust colored sputum. She also complains of chest pain and shortness of breath. What is the gold standard to diagnose CAP?

a. Sputum culture
b. Chest x-ray
c. PFT
d. CBC

Answer 1

The gold standard to diagnose Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP) in a patient with symptoms such as fever, chest pain, and shortness of breath is a chest x-ray.

Step-by-step explanation:

A 66 year old patient with a sudden onset of fever, chills, productive cough with rust colored sputum, chest pain, and shortness of breath is presenting signs consistent with Community-Acquired Pneumonia (CAP). To diagnose CAP, the gold standard is a chest x-ray. This imaging test can reveal the presence and extent of lung inflammation, consolidation, and other abnormalities such as pleural effusions that are associated with pneumonia. While other tests such as sputum cultures, pulmonary function tests (PFT), and complete blood counts (CBC) can provide additional information, they are not considered the gold standard for initial diagnosis of CAP.