Pneumonia in children.

Pneumonia in children tests the clinician's diagnostic and therapeutic acumen. Bacterial infection can occur at any age, while aspiration pneumonia is most common in the newborn, viral pneumonia is most prevalent in infants and preschoolers, and mycoplasmal pneumonia is most often encountered in school-aged children and young adults. Careful follow-up of outpatients will indicate whether the choice of therapy is adequate and should detect progressive disease requiring more specific diagnostic and therapeutic measures.