Which symptom set best matches pneumonia?

• A. Cough with green, red, or rust-colored sputum and localized crackles
• B. Sudden chest pain with dyspnea and subcutaneous emphysema
• C. Cough, sore throat, and fatigue during flu season
• D. Cough, runny/stuffy nose, and sore throat

Answer: (A)

Pneumonia is an infection that causes inflammation and consolidation of a portion of the lung, filling the alveoli with inflammatory exudate. This leads to a productive cough with sputum that can be green, yellow, or rust-colored, and you’ll often hear localized crackles (rales) when listening to the chest over the affected area. That combination of a colored, productive cough and focal abnormal lung sounds is the clearest sign of pneumonia among the options.

The other symptom sets point to different problems: sudden chest pain with dyspnea and subcutaneous emphysema suggests air leak into tissues (like a pneumothorax or trauma); a cough with sore throat and fatigue during flu season fits influenza or another viral illness; and a cough with runny/stuffy nose and sore throat aligns with a common cold or viral URI, not consolidation.