# Pneumonia vs. Pneumonitis

The terms *pneumonia* and *pneumonitis* are often used interchangeably. In SNOMED CT, *pneumonia* is used for infectious causes, and *pneumonitis* is used for noninfectious causes.

{% hint style="warning" %}
Some concepts may contain a synonym with the other *pneumoni*- term due to high/common usage in medical literature.
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Pneumonia is a type of pneumonitis, as inflammation is present in both. The distinguishing feature between the two disorders is the presence of infection in pneumonia. Pneumonia has a Pathological process (attribute) of Infectious process (qualifier value); pneumonitis does not.

<figure><img src="https://4060284305-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FuoSxuN6wQMDYcvuq2wNX%2Fuploads%2FykMS0a9VG9DrNzbxMPjt%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=6b07631c-9273-4c93-8764-d1de681b1f17" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://github.com/SNOMED-Documents/snomed-editorial-guide/blob/main/authoring/clinical-finding-and-disorder/images/225051456.png" alt=""><figcaption><p>Figure: Stated view of 205237003 |Pneumonitis (disorder)|</p></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://4060284305-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FuoSxuN6wQMDYcvuq2wNX%2Fuploads%2Fu8zRWSfUVR2zDpu7WWzO%2Fimage.png?alt=media&#x26;token=f056729d-dfaa-49b9-8e4a-899c381eb4bd" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

<figure><img src="https://github.com/SNOMED-Documents/snomed-editorial-guide/blob/main/authoring/clinical-finding-and-disorder/images/225051457.png" alt=""><figcaption><p>Figure: Stated view of 233604007 |Pneumonia (disorder)|</p></figcaption></figure>

### Morphologic abnormality

The morphologic abnormality for both 233604007 |Pneumonia (disorder)| and 205237003 |Pneumonitis (disorder)| is 409774005 |Inflammatory morphology (morphologic abnormality)|.

The clinically-warranted morphologic abnormality for many subtypes of pneumonia is 707496003 |Inflammation and consolidation (morphologic abnormality)|. Consolidation is a feature of most forms of pneumonia; however, it may not be a feature of all pneumonias, such as atypical pneumonias.

### Guidance exception

Content has been added that aligns with the 2025 International Multidisciplinary Classification of the Interstitial Pneumonias with attribution to ERS/ATS - European Respiratory Society/American Thoracic Society.  For these concepts, the fully specified term and preferred term align with the classification which uses the term *pneumonia* instead of *pneumonitis,* even in the absence of an infectious cause.&#x20;

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