Does a chest x-ray confirm a diagnosis of pneumonia? if not, what does?

The chest xray: itself cannot diagnose pneumonia, because there are a variety of things that can look like pneumonia on an xray. The xray findings must be interpreted in the context of the clinical and laboratory findings in order to arrive at a diagnosis. The xray findings can therefore support the diagnosis, but are not sufficient to establish the diagnosis.

Sometimes: If have symptoms compatible with pneumonia, chest xray can demonstrate consolidation consistent with pneumonia. Some pneumonias are bacterial, fungal, and viral. Often have different radiographic patterns. Clinical exam by physician and certain blood tests are other ways of confirming pneumonia.