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Acute Bronchitis Case Study

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Tammy’s respiratory symptoms would suggest that she has acute bronchitis. Being that Tammy recently had rhinorrhea and rhinitis it puts her at high risk for acquiring acute bronchitis. According to Kinkade, & Long (2016), acute bronchitis is an infection, which can be a virus or bacteria, that usually follows an upper respiratory tract infection, such as a cold or flu. It is characterized by a productive or a nonproductive cough due to acute inflammation of the trachea and large airway. Many of the symptoms that go along with acute bronchitis resemble Tammy’s problem. Since Tammy may have a viral acute bronchitis, it is not treatable with an antibiotic, but some over the counter medicines may help. According to Kinkade, & Long (2016), taking over the counter decongestants combined with an antihistamine may have minimal effects on relieving cough symptoms, but antitussives which are divided into central opioids and peripherally acting agents can reduce cough reflux. Tammy’s symptom of green sputum is also seen with acute bronchitis. I believe the diagnosis of acute bronchitis fits Tammy’s presenting symptoms. …show more content…

Pneumonia is a lung infection, which can be caused by numerous organism such a virus, bacteria, fungi, mycoplasma and exposure to various chemicals. One of the main symptoms of pneumonia is coughing up yellowish or greenish sputum similar to Tammy’s symptoms. Other symptoms associated with pneumonia are mild to high fevers, chills, shortness of breath with activity, loss of appetite and headaches (American Lung Association, 2017). This diagnosis I would rule out as the cause of Tammy’s illness due to her afebrile status and lack of other presenting symptoms related to

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