DEFINITION

Complaints caused by biological agents to any level of the respiratory system. In accordance with his topography, or location of the infection, we differentiate two big groups: infections of top airways and of low airways.

INFECTIONS OF TOP AIRWAYS

I. COMMON COLD
It is an autolimited viral infection and of benign course. The most frequent etiology is the rinovirus responsible for 25 to 30 % of the episodes. The diagnosis is clinical and the symptomatic treatment.

II. SINUSITIS
There are inflammatory processes of the bosoms paranasales, or air cavities inside the bones of the face. The sinusitis affects generally of the maxillary bosoms, and in more serious cases it can affect to the frontal bosoms, etmoidales, esfenoidales...

The majority they arise like bacterial complication of a cold comn, or also for transmission of infections of neighborhood (teethe), or in the illnesses context with affectation globally of the respiratory mucous membrane (pot example, bronquiectasias). The most frequent gérmenes are: pneumococcus, Haemophilus influenzae and Branhamella catharralis.

III. PHARYNGITIS
Sharp inflammatory process of the pharyngeal mucous membrane that is characterized by sore throat of variable intensity. The most frequent etiology is the viral one (45-60 %), being able to be also bacterial (15 %) and of unknown cause (25-40 %).

The pharyngitis estreptocócica characterizes for intense pharyngeal pain, disfagia (make difficult to swallow), high fever, exudado that there covers tonsils and pharynx ("you tackle pultáceas"), and adenopatías cervical (ganglions in the neck). Considering the gravity of his potential complications, between them the rheumatic fever, whenever it exists suspicion of this etiology must realize antibiotic treatment with penicillin or derivatives, and eritromicina like alternative.

IV. LARYNGITIS, LARINGOTRAQUEOBRONQUITIS OR CROUP AND EPIGLOTITIS

The viruses are his most frequent etiology affecting especially the infantile population. A particular case is the epiglotitis that consists of a cellulitis quickly progressive, that can cause finished obstruction of the airline and sometimes it is lethal. The principal agent etiológico is the Haemophilus influenzae guy B. (to See LARYNGEAL STRIDENCY).

INFECTIONS OF THE LOW AIRLINES

I. SHARP BRONCHITIS
Inflammatory process of the tree traqueobronquial in patients without illness broncopulmonar chronic, associated generally with an infection of top airways. The etiology is fundamentally viral and in a small bacterial proportion (Mycoplasma pneumoniae or Bordetella pertusis). The clinical picture consists of cough, with or without expectoration, fever, generally normal physical exploration, and radiography of normal thorax. The treatment is symptomatic and only if it is suspected sobreinfección bacterial they must be added eritromicina or penicilinas.

II. PNEUMONIAS
To see: Pneumonias in children

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