Pneumonia in Children Presenting to the Emergency Department With an Asthma Exacerbation

Pneumonia in Children Presenting to the Emergency Department With an Asthma Exacerbation Asthma and pneumonia are 2 of the most common reasons children visit the emergency department.1 These conditions have overlapping features and can occur concomitantly. Subsequently, physicians often obtain chest radiographs to diagnose pneumonia in children with asthma, although less than 5% of children have pneumonia that can be radiographically confirmed (hereafter referred to as radiographic pneumonia).2 The consequences of the overuse of radiography include increased time in the hospital, unnecessary radiation exposure, increased costs, and inappropriate antibiotic use due to equivocal imaging findings.3 Given the high rate of normal chest radiographs and the consequences of unnecessary