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Health Dictionary

Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions ā€” written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.

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Acute bronchitis differential diagnosis

Introduction

Overview

Overview

Acute bronchitis must be differentiated from other causes of cough and wheezing including: acute exacerbation of chronic bronchitis, asthma and pneumonia.

Differential Diagnosis of Acute Bronchitis

Differential Diagnosis of Acute Bronchitis

The acute bronchitis must be differentiated from other diseases that may cause cough, dyspnea and wheezing.[1]

Disease Findings
Chronic Bronchitis Presents with chronic cough, dyspnea and sputum production for more than three months for two years.[2]
Pneumonia Presents with acute fever, cough and shortness of breath, although pulmonary infiltrate on chest x-ray is an imaging finding.[3]
Asthma Presents with cough, dyspnea and wheezing and typically is a chronic condition which has started from childhood.[4]
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease May present with chronic, dry cough but the typical symptom is heart burn.[5][6]
References

References

  1. ā†‘ Albert RH (2010). “Diagnosis and treatment of acute bronchitis”. Am Fam Physician. 82 (11): 1345ā€“50. PMIDĀ 21121518.
  2. ā†‘ Celli BR, MacNee W (2004). “Standards for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with COPD: a summary of the ATS/ERS position paper”. Eur. Respir. J. 23 (6): 932ā€“46. PMIDĀ 15219010.
  3. ā†‘ Prina E, Ranzani OT, Torres A (2015). “Community-acquired pneumonia”. Lancet. 386 (9998): 1097ā€“108. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)60733-4. PMIDĀ 26277247.
  4. ā†‘ Busse WW (2011). “Asthma diagnosis and treatment: filling in the information gaps”. J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. 128 (4): 740ā€“50. doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2011.08.014. PMIDĀ 21875745.
  5. ā†‘ Singh A (2009). “Asthma in older adults”. CMAJ. 181 (12): 929. doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-2049. PMCĀ 2789137. PMIDĀ 19969583.
  6. ā†‘ Irwin RS, Baumann MH, Bolser DC, Boulet LP, Braman SS, Brightling CE, Brown KK, Canning BJ, Chang AB, Dicpinigaitis PV, Eccles R, Glomb WB, Goldstein LB, Graham LM, Hargreave FE, Kvale PA, Lewis SZ, McCool FD, McCrory DC, Prakash UB, Pratter MR, Rosen MJ, Schulman E, Shannon JJ, Smith Hammond C, Tarlo SM (2006). “Diagnosis and management of cough executive summary: ACCP evidence-based clinical practice guidelines”. Chest. 129 (1 Suppl): 1Sā€“23S. doi:10.1378/chest.129.1_suppl.1S. PMCĀ 3345522. PMIDĀ 16428686.

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.