Acute Bronchitis
Acute Bronchitis
Acute Bronchitis affects patients of all ages and is common complaint in the outpatient setting (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2015). It is often a self-limiting inflammation of the trachea and bronchi due to a viral infection of the upper airway that is characterized by a cough that last one to three weeks, without the presence of pneumonia (Kinkade, 2016).
Typical Presenting Signs and Symptoms
Patients that present with Bronchitis have a complaint of cough that has lasted more than five days and may also have associated sputum production during the acute phase of the illness. Patients may also report associated symptoms of fever, malaise, chest discomfort, chills, and headache (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2015). The complaints of chest discomfort and chills will be mild compared to these same symptoms seen in pneumonia (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2015). Wheezes or rhonchi may be heard when the lungs are auscultated but will clear when patient coughs (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2015). This is no egophony and fremitus will be equal (Goolsby & Grubbs, 2015). Patients may report chest wall tenderness related to cough causing muscle strain (Buttaro et al., 2013).
It is important to for the provider to distinguish acute bronchitis from chronic bronchitis, which is often a condition found in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease that has a cough that last for at least three months in two successive years (Kinkade, 2016).
Pathophysiology of the Problem
Edematous changes to the mucous membrane of the tracheobronchial tree, cell damage to the epithelial, proinflammatory mediators releasing, and having an increase of secretions results in acute bronchitis. Obstruction of the airway may occur causing a transient airway and bronchial hyperresponsiveness. Smoking cigarettes and chemical irritants can increase the severity of the viral infection causing worsening of symptoms (Buttaro, Trybulski, Bailey, & Sandberg-Cook, 2013).
