Follow-up imaging for immunocompetent adults who have recovered from community-acquired pneumonia

Follow-up imaging is not needed for most patients who have promptly recovered from CAP (eg, within 5 to 7 days for an otherwise healthy person). However, follow-up clinic visits are good opportunities to review the patient's risk for lung cancer based on age, smoking history, and recent imaging findings.

CT: computed tomography; CAP: community-acquired pneumonia.

* Criteria for lung cancer screening vary among clinical practice guidelines (eg, thresholds for age and duration of smoking therapy). Refer to UpToDate text for detail.

¶ Exceptions include patients who are followed radiographically for other reasons (eg, selected patients with advanced structural lung disease). Whether patients with small pleural effusions require follow-up is an open question. We generally do not obtain follow-up imagining unless the patient is slow to recover or develops new systemic or respiratory symptoms.

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Follow-up imaging for immunocompetent adults who have recovered from community-acquired pneumonia