AN INTEGRATED APPROACH TO THE MANAGEMENT OF PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN BASED ON CLINICAL SEVERITY AND RADIOLOGIC FINDINGS

Pneumonia remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among children worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. Accurate diagnosis and appropriate management are crucial to reduce complications and mortality. Clinical assessment forms the cornerstone of pneumonia diagnosis in children, while chest imaging plays a complementary role in confirming the diagnosis, assessing disease severity, and identifying complications. This article reviews the integration of clinical presentation and chest imaging in the management of pediatric pneumonia. Emphasis is placed on correlating symptoms, physical findings, and radiologic patterns to guide therapeutic decisions, hospitalization, and follow-up. Understanding the strengths and limitations of both clinical evaluation and imaging is essential for optimal patient care and rational use of resources.肺炎仍是全球范围内儿童发病与死亡的主要诱因之一，在低收入和中等收入国家尤为突出。精准诊断与合理诊疗对于降低并发症发生率及病死率至关重要。临床评估是儿童肺炎诊断的核心基石，而胸部影像学则在确诊病情、评估疾病严重程度以及识别并发症方面发挥辅助作用。本文综述了临床表现与胸部影像学在儿童肺炎诊疗中的整合应用，重点阐述如何将症状、体格检查结果与影像学征象相结合，以指导治疗决策、住院安排及后续随访工作。充分认识临床评估与影像学检查各自的优势与局限性，对于实现最优患者护理与合理医疗资源利用至关重要。