Acute Bronchitis(Bronchitis, Acute; Lower Respiratory Tract Infection, Chest Cold)
by
Amy Scholten, MPH DefinitionAcute bronchitis is a short-term lung infection. Airways leading to the lungs become inflamed and make more phlegm than normal. This causes severe coughing.
CausesViruses are the most common cause of acute bronchitis. Bacteria can also cause it, but this is not as common. Risk FactorsThings that raise the risk are: SymptomsAcute bronchitis can cause:
DiagnosisThe doctor will ask about your symptoms and past health. A physical exam may be done. Diagnosis is often based on symptoms. TreatmentAn infection caused by a virus will usually go away on its own within a week. The cough can last for up to a month. The goal of treatment is to ease symptoms. It includes:
An infection caused by bacteria will also need antibiotics. PreventionThe risk of acute bronchitis can be lowered by:
RESOURCES:American Lung Association http://www.lung.org Family Doctor—American Academy of Family Physicians https://familydoctor.org CANADIAN RESOURCES:The College of Family Physicians of Canada http://www.cfpc.ca The Lung Association https://www.lung.ca References:About antibiotic use and resistance. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website. Available at: ...(Click grey area to select URL) Accessed February 2, 2021. Acute bronchitis. American Academy of Family Physicians Family Doctor website. Available at:
https://familydoctor.org/condition/acute-bronchitis. . Accessed February 2, 2021.
Acute bronchitis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at:
https://www.dynamed.com/condition/acute-bronchitis. Accessed February 2, 2021.
Smith SM, Fahey T, Smucny J, Becker LA. Antibiotics for acute bronchitis.
Cochrane Database Syst Rev.
2017;6:CD000245. Last reviewed February 2021 by EBSCO Medical Review Board
David L. Horn, MD, FACP Last Updated: 2/2/2021 | |
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