Bronchitis natural history, complications and prognosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Seyedmahdi Pahlavani, M.D. [2]; Nate Michalak, B.A.

Bronchitis Main page

Patient Information

Overview

Causes

Classification

Acute bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis

Differential Diagnosis

Overview

Acute bronchitis is usually a self limiting disease with excellent prognosis but chronic bronchitis is a long lasting disease with variable outcomes depending on the severity of airflow obstruction and number of complications.

Natural History

Acute bronchitis is a self limiting lower respiratory tract infection that usually presents with cough lasting up to 3 weeks.[1][2]
Chronic bronchitis usually gradually worsens over time and may lead to death. The rate of deterioration varies between individuals and depends on the level of airflow obstruction and number of complications.

Prognosis

  • Acute bronchitis has excellent prognosis.[3]
  • Chronic bronchitis prognosis depends on early recognition and smoking cessation, which significantly improves outcomes.

Complications

  • The most common complication of acute bronchitis is persistent cough that may last up to 6 weeks.[3] Rarely, in patients with immunosuppression or other debilitating disease, pneumonia occurs as a complication.[4]
  • Recurrent pneumonia is a common complication of chronic bronchitis. Cor pulmonale is right-sided heart failure secondary to longstanding COPD. It is caused by chronic hypoxia and subsequent vasoconstriction in pulmonary vasculature that causes pulmonary hypertension and right-sided heart failure.

Associate Conditions

References

  1. ↑ Gonzales R, Sande MA (2000). "Uncomplicated acute bronchitis". Ann. Intern. Med. 133 (12): 981–91. PMID 11119400.
  2. ↑ Landau LI (2006). "Acute and chronic cough". Paediatr Respir Rev. 7 Suppl 1: S64–7. doi:10.1016/j.prrv.2006.04.172. PMID 16798599.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Wenzel RP, Fowler AA (2006). "Clinical practice. Acute bronchitis". N. Engl. J. Med. 355 (20): 2125–30. doi:10.1056/NEJMcp061493. PMID 17108344.
  4. ↑ Albert RH (2010). "Diagnosis and treatment of acute bronchitis". Am Fam Physician. 82 (11): 1345–50. PMID 21121518.
  5. ↑ Bach PB, Brown C, Gelfand SE, McCrory DC (2001). "Management of acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a summary and appraisal of published evidence". Ann. Intern. Med. 134 (7): 600–20. PMID 11281745.

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