Diagnosis of pneumococcal pneumonia involves a combination of clinical evaluation and laboratory tests:
- A physical exam, listening to your lungs with a stethoscope.
- A chest X-ray to see how bad the infection is and where it is in the lungs.
- Blood tests to check for signs of infection and inflammation.
- A sputum culture to identify if Streptococcus pneumoniae is in the mucus from your lungs.
- A urinary antigen test for a quick check of pneumococcal antigens in your urine.