Bronchitis

Last revised by Yuranga Weerakkody on 3 Feb 2021

Bronchitis (plural bronchitides) refers to inflammation of large airways (i.e. bronchi).

Terminology

It is considered a generic term referring to inflammation of the bronchial wall, representing the common final response of the airways to various irritants 3.

Types

This may be acute or chronic and can be precipitated by a variety of conditions:

  • acute bronchitis
    • short-term process (<3 months in length but typically lasting 2–10 days) with symptoms occasionally lingering for 2–3 weeks post-infection 6
  • chronic bronchitis
    • productive cough most days for ≥3 months in 2 consecutive years in patients for whom other causes of chronic cough have been excluded 6

See also

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