This Publication Is Searchable The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy Section 6. Pulmonary Disorders Chapter 69. Acute inflammation of the tracheobronchial tree, generally self-limited and with eventual complete healing and return of function. Although commonly mild, acute bronchitis may be serious in debilitated patients and in patients with chronic lung or heart disease.
Airflow obstruction is a common consequence, and pneumonia is a critical complication.
Chronic bronchitis is discussed under Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in Ch. It may develop after a common cold or other viral infection of the nasopharynx, throat, or tracheobronchial tree, often with secondary bacterial infection. A and B viruses, parainfluenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus, coxsackievirus A21, rhinovirus, and the viruses that cause rubella and measles. Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Bordetella pertussis, and Chlamydia pneumoniae also cause acute infectious bronchitis, often in young adults. Malnutrition and exposure to air pollutants are predisposing or contributory factors.