Bronchitis

This chapter looks at bronchitis. Bronchial infections with viral and bacterial microorganisms cause considerable morbidity, as well as economic costs incurred through health care and loss of productivity. These infections affect all age groups. An important consideration is whether or not an individual has underlying chronic lung disease, as that alters the etiology, clinical presentation, laboratory findings, and indications for therapy. The chapter discusses acute infectious bronchitis in individuals without underlying chronic lung disease, before outlining approaches when an individual has an acute exacerbation of a chronic lung disease such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or non-cystic fibrosis bronchiectasis.