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Acute Bronchitis
Acute Bronchitis
Acute Bronchitis
Assessment:
Pathophysiology:
Usually bronchitis occurs after the person was infected with cold or infection. The virus
that causes the common cold can also be the virus that can cause bronchitis. Acute
bronchitis can also happen by inhaling irritants that can damage and inflame the
bronchial tubes. Cigarette smoke and other chemical fumes inhaled can significantly
damage your bronchial tubes. The inflammation causes the airway to constrict and
therefore, causes you to have difficulty in breathing. If left untreated or if you continue
inhaling irritants such as cigarette smoke, the acute bronchitis will eventually develop
into its chronic form where it can permanently damage your bronchial tubes and tissues
surrounding it.
Diagnostic Evaluation:
1. Chest X-ray may rule out pneumonia. In bronchitis, films show no evidence of
lung infiltrates or consolidation.
2. Sputum analysis.
Therapeutic Intervention:
Pharmacologic Interventions:
PROTUSSIVESAND ANTITUSSIVES
Because acute bronchitis is most often caused by a viral infection, usually only
symptomatic treatment is required. Treatment can focus on preventing or controlling the
cough (antitussive therapy) or on making the cough more effective (protussive therapy).
Protussive therapy is indicated when coughing should be encouraged (e.g., to clear the
airways of mucus). In randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies of
protussives in patients with cough from various causes, only terbutaline (Brethine),
amiloride (Midamor), and hypertonic saline aerosols proved successful. However, the
clinical utility of these agents in patients with acute bronchitis is questionable, because
the studies examined cough resulting from other illnesses. Guaifenesin, frequently used
by physicians as an expectorant, was found to be ineffective, but only a single 100-mg
dose was evaluated. Common preparations (e.g., Duratuss) contain guaifenesin in doses
of 600 to 1,200 mg.
Nursing Interventions:
Members:
Nicar, Katherine
Pagala, Apple
Pelobello, Charlene
Peralta, Vanessa
Quimba, Manilyn
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