Table 1.

Diagnostic criteria for pneumonia in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus^*

Diagnosis	Criteria
Definite pneumonia	Presence of the following: At least 1 of the following symptoms: fever, cough, or shortness of breath Alveolar opacities on chest radiograph Microbiologic specimen (from respiratory secretion, pleural fluid, or blood) with pathogenic organism or rapid cavitation of the radiographic opacity, and Resolution of symptoms with antimicrobial therapy
Probable pneumonia	Presence of the following: At least 1 of the following symptoms: fever, cough, or shortness of breath Alveolar opacities on chest radiograph, and Resolution of symptoms with antimicrobial therapy
Reported pneumonia	Medical record or patient report of a history of pneumonia in the absence of available documenting data
Not pneumonia	Respiratory symptoms and radiographic lung disease not meeting any of the above criteria, or alveolar opacities on chest radiograph that resolve in less than 48 hours, or resolution of symptoms without antimicrobial therapy

^*Pneumonia classification criteria are based on the published literature for the classification of ventilator-associated pneumonia (excluding factors specific to the ventilator) (26–29) as well as the Canadian guidelines for the management of community-acquired pneumonia (30).