Respiratory Tract Infections

Question 1

List some common respiratory tract infections

Answer 1

• Common cold
• Influenza
• Pharyngitis
• Croup
• Sinusitis
• Otitis media, externa, mastoiditis
• Localised head and neck infections

Question 2

Common cold

• cause
• symptoms
• complications
• treatment

Answer 2

Acute viral nasopharyngitis/acute coryza
Caused by:
-Rhinoviruses
-Coronaviruses
-Parainfluenza virus
-Influenza virus 
-Adenovirus

Symptoms:

• Sore throat
• Runny nose
• Sneezing
• Cough
• Sore eyes/fever/headache

Complications:

• Burden on NHS
• Could be prodrome of a more severe illness (flu/measles)
• Secondary bacterial infection
• Smokers have more complications

Treatment:

• No antivirals/antibiotics
• Symptomatic relief

Question 3

Influenza

• Symptoms
• Complications
• Diagnosis
• Treatment
• Prevention

Answer 3

Fever, myalgia, headache

Complications: pneumonia, staph aureus

Dx: £50 test

Treatment: symptomatic relief, anitviral (oseltamivir)

Prevention: Vaccine (new each year)