Acute bronchitis Flashcards
Disease course
Usually resolves before 3 weeks
25% still have cough after this
Leading cause
Viral
80% occur in autumn/ winter
Presentation
Cough (may or may not be productive)
Sore throat
Rhinorrhoea
Wheeze
Chest examination
Majority normal
Low-grade fever
Wheeze
Differentiating from pneumonia
History: sputum/ wheeze/ breathlessness absent in bronchitis
Examination: no focal chest signs, absent systemic features
Investigations
Typically clinical diagnosis
CRP may be used to guide whether antibiotic therapy indicated
Management
Analgesia
Good fluid intake
Consider antibiotics
Antibiotics
If systemically unwell
Have pre-existing co-morbidities
Have CRP of 20-100 consider delayed prescription
CRP>100 offer antibiotics immediately
Doxycyline first line (cannot be used in children or pregnant women) or amoxicillin