Pneumonia

To diagnose pneumonia, a healthcare provider will ask about your health history and conduct a physical exam. They’ll listen to your lungs with a stethoscope and may perform or order additional tests. These include imaging (like chest X-rays), pulse oximetry (checking oxygen levels in your blood), blood tests or sputum (spit) tests.

Even if your healthcare provider confirms that you have pneumonia, sometimes, they can’t find the exact cause.

What tests will be done to diagnose pneumonia?

Your provider may perform tests that look at your lungs for signs of infection, measure how well your lungs are working and examine blood or other body fluids to try to determine the cause of your pneumonia. These include:

• Imaging: Your provider can use chest X-ray or CT scan to take pictures of your lungs to look for signs of infection.
• Blood tests: Your provider can use a blood test to help determine what kind of infection is causing your pneumonia.
• Sputum test: You’re asked to cough and then spit into a container to collect a sample for a lab to examine. The lab will look for signs of an infection and try to determine what’s causing it.
• Pulse oximetry: A sensor measures the amount of oxygen in your blood to give your provider an idea of how well your lungs are working.
• Pleural fluid culture: Your provider uses a thin needle to take a sample of fluid from around your lungs. The sample is sent to a lab to help determine what’s causing the infection.
• Arterial blood gas test: Your provider takes a blood sample from your wrist, arm or groin to measure oxygen levels in your blood to know how well your lungs are working.
• Bronchoscopy: In some cases, your provider may use a thin, lighted tube called a bronchoscope to look at the inside of your lungs. They may also take tissue or fluid samples to be tested in a lab.