Contemporary diagnosis and management of bronchitis [antikvár]

Introduction Bronchitis is the most frequent inflammatory disorder in the lung. Consequently, bronchitis has important im-plications for patients with underlying lung disease, par-ticularly smokers. The American Thoracic Society and the European Respiratory Society have established the fol-lowing standards for the diagnosis and care of patients with bronchitis: • Identify the risk factors for bronchitis and chronic lung disease. • Identify the patient with clinical signs and symptoms consistent with acute and chronic bronchitis. • Recognize that bronchitis is a potentially debilitating disease, mainly in patients with underlying lung disease, and requires prompt diagnosis and effective therapy. • Identify the laboratory tests that will help in the diagnosis of bronchitis. • Understand the need for comprehensive management, including smoking cessation and pharmacologic therapy. • Consider the pharmacologic characteristics and the toxi-cologic aspects of any drug before prescribing. • Develop a protocol for first-line pharmacologic management of acute bronchitis, including use ofbroncho-dilators and antibiotics. • Identify the organisms, whenever possible, if an infec-tious agent is suspected. • Identify those patients with bronchitis who require hospitál admission and aggressive medical care. • Consider the economic and social consequences of in-appropriate treatment of patients with bronchitis. • Identify patients who might benefit from appropriate referral for specialized care.