Table 1.

The criteria for confirming community-acquired pneumonia.

A. inclusion criteria*

1. fever (temperature >37.5 °C) and cough

2. examinations of both plain chest radiography and chest CT on admission

3. psesence of infiltration in chest CT

4. collection of sputum on admission

5. isolation of bacteria from sputum culture with compatible Gram stain findings

B. exclusion criteria#

1. non-infectious pulmonary diseases (e.g. interstitial pneumonia or pulmonary embolism)

2. infection of any other sites

3. chronic heart failure

4. aspiration pneumonia (physician-diagnosed or suspected)

5. active mycobacterial infection (tuberculosis or non-tuberculous mycobacterial infection)

6. pulmonary mycosis

7. immunosuppressed status (e.g. current use of ≥ 10 mg/day of prednisone or other immunosuppressive agents, active treatment for cancer, or hematological malignancy)

*A case that meets all the inclusion criteria is included. #A case that meets any of the exclusion criteria is excluded.