The patient with acute bronchitis. Therapist's thinking
Kostyukevich O.I.

Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Moscow
Krasnogorsk City Clinical Hospital № 1, Moscow region

Acute bronchitis (AB) is an inflammatory disease of bronchial tubes, mainly of infectious origin, manifesting with cough (dry or productive) and continuing up to 3 weeks. Prevalence of AB in population is extremely high: every year 5% of adult population get sick. Acute cough is one of the most frequent causes of visits to therapist. Although it is routine patients the doctor faces a lot of difficulties despite the banality of diagnosis. So, AB becomes almost the main cause of unjustified antibiotic use, often masks diseases such as bronchial asthma, gastroesophageal reflux disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and pneumonia. The paper addresses etiology, diagnosis, differential diagnosis and therapy, presents clinical case of a patient with suspected AB with focus on medical history, objective, laboratory and instrumental methods of examination. The article focuses on etiotropic (antibacterial), antitussive, bronchodilator, mucoactive therapy. The most effective antitussive agents with efferent peripheral action are mucolytics. They liquefy bronchial secretion well due to changes in mucus structure. Acetylcysteine is widely used in clinical practice. Basic mechanisms of acetylcysteine action are discussed, as well as indications and experience of clinical use for AB treatment .

Key words: acute bronchitis, bronchial inflammatory diseases, acetylcysteine, clinical case report, mucolytics, mucoactive drugs.

For citation: Kostyukevich O.I. The patient with acute bronchitis. Therapist's thinking // RMJ. 2016. № 16. P. 1088–1093.