| Definition: Bronchitis is the inflammation (acute or cronic | | | | tubes. |
| )of the trachea, bronchi. Acute bronchitis is caused by | | | | Sputum culture is indicated to be performed to put a |
| viral or bacterial infection and heal without | | | | correct diagnosis of the infection and to identify the |
| complications. Adults that smoke develop chronic | | | | most appropriate antibiotic. The patient is asked to spit |
| bronchitis that cannot be cured. | | | | in a cup and than the sample is grown in the laboratory |
| Description | | | | to see which organisms are present. Sometimes the |
| Acute bronchitis appears mostly in the winter, more | | | | sputum may be collected using bronchoscopy, the |
| often caused by viral infection. Although the cough | | | | patient is given a local anesthetic and the tube is |
| may persist longer acute bronchitis is solved in two | | | | passed through the airways to collect a sputum |
| weeks, acute bronchitis complication is pneumonia in | | | | sample. Blood tests and x-rays are also |
| children. | | | | recommended, the measuring of the oxygen and |
| Demographics | | | | carbon dioxide are also important. |
| Bronchitis affects predominantly pre-school and school | | | | Treatment |
| age children, especially during winter time. | | | | Bronchitis may be treated by home care if it's not |
| Cause and symptoms | | | | complicated, resting, not smocking and drinking plenty |
| Bronchitis begins with the symptoms of a cold, running | | | | of fluids, for fever you may take Tylenol, Panadol, |
| nose, coughing, sneezing, fever of 102°F | | | | Datril. |
| (38.8°C), greenish yellow sputum. In three to five | | | | Cough suppressants may be used only when the |
| days most of the symptoms disappear, but coughing | | | | cough is dry. Cough is useful because brings up extra |
| may continue for some time. If the acute bronchitis is | | | | mucus and irritants from the lungs and this way stops |
| complicated with bacterial infection the fever and a | | | | the mucus to accumulate in the airways and producing |
| general feeling of illness persists. The bacterial infection | | | | pneumonia bacteria. Tetracycline or ampicillin are used |
| should be treated with antibiotics, if the cough doesn't | | | | in the treatment of acute bronchitis, but good results |
| get away it may be asthma or pneumonia. In direct | | | | have been obtained with trimethoprim |
| proportion with the stage of the disease acute | | | | sulfamethoxazole (Bactrim or Septra) and |
| bronchitis has those symptoms: dry, hacking, | | | | azithromycin (Zithromax) and clarithromycin (Biaxin). In |
| unproductive cough, runny nose, sore throat, back and | | | | children acute bronchitis amoxicillin (Amoxil, Pentamox, |
| other muscle pains, general malaise, headache, fever, | | | | Sumox, Trimox)is recommended, inhaler sprays to |
| chills. | | | | dilatate the bronchis and clear aut the mucus are also |
| Diagnosis | | | | good. It is important to rest sufficiently, to eat well, |
| The doctor will listen to the child's chest, if he hears | | | | avoid air pollution and irritants. Childrens wash their |
| moist rales, crackling, wheezing it means that the lung | | | | hands regularly and as a preventive measure they are |
| are inflammated and the airway is narrowing. Moist | | | | artificially immunized against pneumonia. |
| rales are caused by the fluid secretions in the bronchial | | | | |