Community-acquired pneumonia in children; the challenges of microbiological diagnosis

Community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) is the leading cause of mortality in children under five years of age, globally. To improve the management of CAP, we must distinguish CAP from other common paediatric conditions and develop better diagnostic methods to detect the causative organism, so to best direct appropriate resources in both industrialised and developing countries. Here, we review the diagnostic modalities available for identifying viruses and bacteria in the upper and lower respiratory tract of children, with a discussion of their utility and limitations in diagnosing CAP in children