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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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COVID-19-associated pneumonia differential diagnosis

Introduction

Overview

Overview

COVID-19-associated pneumonia should be differentiated from other Diseases.

Differentiating COVID-19-associated pneumonia from other Diseases

Differentiating COVID-19-associated pneumonia from other Diseases

  • COVID-19-associated pneumonia should be diffrentiated from other Diseases.
Differential Diagnosis of COVID-associated Pneumonia
Disease Findings
COVID-19 associated pneumonia[1][2][3][4]
  • COVID-19 associated pneumonia can be classified from other viral pneumonia caused based on history of exposure to COVID-19, positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR, dyspnea, fever, cough, expectoration and uncommon associated findings like diarrhea, headache,vomiting and myalgias.
  • Chest X-ray and other imaging modalities can further help us differentiate COVID-19 associated pneumonia from other causes.
  • Chest X-ray usually shows bilateral, almost symmetrical areas of peripheral consolidation with perihilar infiltrates, and an indistinct left heart border.
  • CT-scan chest may show classical appearances of sub-pleural organizing areas of consolidation with patchy peripheral ground-glass opacities.
Acute bronchitis
  • No infiltrates seen on the chest X-ray.
Asthma
  • Past medical history
  • No infiltrates seen on chest X-ray.
Bronchiolitis obliterans
  • Should be suspected in patients with pneumonia who do not respond to antibiotics treatment.
Congestive heart failure
COPD
  • Past medical history
  • No infiltrates on chest X-ray
  • Fever is uncommon.
Empyema
Endocarditis
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Normal chest X-ray
  • Symptoms are worse at night and associated with meals.
Lung abscess
Lung cancer
  • Weight loss
  • Clear sputum
  • CT scan and biopsy are helpful in ruling out malignancy.
Pertussis
  • Productive cough for weeks
  • Nasopharyngeal aspirate aids in diagnosis.
Pulmonary embolus
  • A high degree of suspicion should be kept for pulmonary embolus.
  • A chest X-ray may be normal.
Sinusitis
  • Sinus tenderness
  • Post-nasal drip
Vasculitis
References

References

  1. ↑ Schiele F, Muller J, Colinet E, Siest G, Arzoglou P, Brettschneider H; et al. (1992). “Interlaboratory study of the IFCC method for alanine aminotransferase performed with use of a partly purified reference material”. Clin Chem. 38 (12): 2365–71. PMID 1458569.
  2. ↑ Castro-Guardiola A, Armengou-Arxé A, Viejo-Rodríguez A, Peñarroja-Matutano G, Garcia-Bragado F (2000). “Differential diagnosis between community-acquired pneumonia and non-pneumonia diseases of the chest in the emergency ward”. Eur J Intern Med. 11 (6): 334–339. PMID 11113658.
  3. ↑ Ahnsjö, Sven (1935). “Contribution to the Differential Diagnosis of Pneumonia in Childhood”. Acta Paediatrica. 17 (3): 439–446. doi:10.1111/j.1651-2227.1935.tb07697.x. ISSN 0803-5253.
  4. ↑ Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named CEBM 2020

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Usman Ali Akbar, M.B.B.S.[2]