Diagnosis, Treatment, and Complications

Diagnosis

Clinicians may test to see if a patient has Chlamydia pneumoniae infection by:

• Laboratory test that involves taking a sample of sputum (phlegm) or swab from the nose or throat
• Blood test

Treatment

C. pneumoniae infection is routinely treated with antibiotics (medicines that kill bacteria in the body), although most people will recover from the illness on their own without medicine.

There are several types of antibiotics that can treat C. pneumoniae infections. If you or your child is diagnosed with a C. pneumoniae infection, your doctor will decide how to best treat it.

Complications

While C. pneumoniae infection is most often a mild disease, serious complications can occur that result in needing care or treatment in a hospital. Complications that have been reported include:

• Pneumonia (lung infection)
• Swelling in the brain (encephalitis)
• Swelling of the heart (myocarditis)
• Chronic infection