Types of Bronchitis

Time bronchitis - the autumn-winter and early spring, when the body is weakened by frequent colds, lack of vitamins and essential trace elements that enter the body with fruits and vegetables. Impact and lack of influence of sunlight, which kill pathogens. All of these factors reduce the body's defenses and open the way for infection.

Bronchitis - an inflammation of the bronchi, respiratory tubes, the air passages to the lungs. By type of flow bronchitis divided into acute and chronic.

A major role in causing inflammation of the bronchi play viral and bacterial infections (influenza, measles Measles in children - may cause serious complications , Staphylococcal, streptococcal, pneumococcal inhalation injury, etc.).

Bronchitis contribute to the development of a variety of adverse physical effects - hypothermia, prolonged inhalation of dry air, irritating dust. Less common cause of bronchitis is the impact of chemicals (acid and alkali vapors, exhaust, etc.). Sometimes bronchitis occurs on a background of toxic products of metabolism Metabolism: The basis of life of all living things   in various diseases (eg, renal insufficiency). Current bronchitis, arising under the influence of physical and chemical factors, further compounded by the addition of an infection.

Acute bronchitis

Acute bronchitis usually develops on the background of a viral or bacterial infection. In the first few days of illness increased body temperature (but not always), general weakness, chills, muscle aches in back and limbs, runny nose, hoarseness, tickling in the throat. Cough initially dry, rough, with scanty viscous sputum.

Around the third day of the disease appear burning sensation behind the sternum, worse when coughing. With the spread of the process in the course of the bronchi signs of irritation of the upper respiratory tract (rhinitis, hoarseness, and so on) are weakened, the process moves further into the bronchial tubes. Cough comes from the depths, expectoration easier, muco-purulent sputum is released in large quantities.

Acute bronchitis can occur with impaired patency of the bronchi (obstructive bronchitis) and without (non-obstructive bronchitis). When obstructive bronchitis affects the small bronchi, which is a violation of patency associated with increased muscle tone bronchial mucosa swelling and increased mucus.

The course of acute bronchitis, especially in lesions of small bronchi, may be complicated by inflammation of the lungs (pneumonia), and the general condition of the patient deteriorates sharply increased temperature, increased cough, shortness of breath may occur. In such cases, in order to avoid pneumonia necessarily performed radiography.

In most cases, the disease ends complete recovery, but sometimes (especially with obstructive processes) it becomes chronic.

Chronic bronchitis

The main symptoms of chronic bronchitis - cough, sometimes paroxysmal character, usually in the morning after sleep Dreams: how to understand our dreams   or by changing the temperature of the inhaled air separation muco-purulent sputum, general malaise. Symptoms of obstructive chronic bronchitis - shortness of breath on exertion, the extent of which depends on atmospheric pressure, temperature and humidity of exhaled air, level of accumulation and expectoration of sputum.

The course of chronic bronchitis a long, frequent or infrequent exacerbations. Outside the main acute manifestation expressed moderately: rare cough with little phlegm, shortness of breath a little. In exacerbations of chronic bronchitis, which often have a seasonal nature, the severity of symptoms of the disease increases. Thus there is usually no violations of general state of the organism in the form of high temperature, malaise, weakness and so on. Violation of the bronchi expressed in bronchospasm and delayed expectoration of phlegm in the acute phase.

The course of chronic bronchitis may be complicated by pneumonia Pneumonia - Symptoms and Causes   and pneumosclerosis (Tacna replacement pulmonary connective tissue, resulting in a decrease in lung function) and forming extensions to the ends of the bronchi - bronchiectasis. Chronic obstructive bronchitis, sooner or later joins emphysema (persistent expansion of the lungs, caused the death of lung tissue elastic elements and replace them inflexible connective tissue). Violation of respiratory function is a violation of cardiovascular activity, there are signs of the so-called pulmonary heart.

Diagnosis of chronic bronchitis based on his symptoms and confirmed by radiographic examination.

Treatment of bronchitis

Treatment of acute bronchitis should be early. Assigned antibacterial or antiviral drugs (depending on the cause of bronchitis). Patients with acute bronchitis must comply with bed rest, avoid hypothermia. It is recommended to drink plenty of warm diaphoretic (tea with raspberry jam, an infusion of lime blossom), reception alkalis (mineral water or soda bread and milk). If there is no temperature, then put mustard (in the sternum, in the interscapular region), hot foot bath. Dry painful cough initially inhibit (eg kodterpin), and after it becomes wet, appoint expectorant and expand the bronchi drugs.

Exacerbation of chronic bronchitis are treated as well as acute bronchitis. In remission appoint agents that enhance the bronchi and thinning phlegm, inhalations, physiotherapy, cardiovascular agents.

Bronchitis is not a simple disease, it can provide a number of serious complications, so it requires careful treatment.

  Galina Romanenko

Respiratory distress syndrome

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia is the result of the fact that medicine has learned to nurse premature babies that were previously considered non-viable. This is a new disease that appeared in the last decade, and was first described in 1967. Particularly susceptible children with bronchopulmonary dysplasia weighing less than 1,000 g, born at 28 weeks of pregnancy and before.

In premature infants there immaturity of many organs and systems, but it holds a special place immaturity of the respiratory tract, which is often the cause of death of these children. All respiratory distress in preterm combined into a single respiratory distress syndrome (SDR), which is based on dysfunction of pulmonary surfactant system.

Lung surfactant - a complex surfactant consisting of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, which is in the form of the film lining the inner surface of the alveoli (sacs at the ends of the smallest bronchi, which are the property of lung tissue), being located at the interface air - liquid. Producing cells of the alveolar surfactant.

The main physiological role of surfactant is that it prevents the alveoli spadenie exhale. Additionally, it protects the lungs from damage, removes foreign particles from the lungs to suppress the vital activity of certain bacteria, stimulates local immunity pulmonary Immunity - types and characteristics in children in adults , Regulates blood circulation in small blood vessels of the lungs, reduces the permeability of the alveolar wall, thus preventing the ingress of fluid into the alveoli, ie the development of pulmonary edema.

Surfactant begin producing after 20 weeks of pregnancy and fully matures to the 36th week, during birth it is a sharp output, which helps the baby's lungs to finish during the first breath .  At various disorders during pregnancy (diseases of the mother, causing circulatory disorders of the fetus) slows the maturation of surfactant .  This leads to the fact that the lungs are fully straightened, they are formed first portions of reduced ventilation and wears off alveoli, then the alveoli propotevaet fluid from the blood vessel, whereupon the liquid can turn into hyaline membrane covering the entrance to the alveoli (hyaline membrane disease) .  All this contributes to shutdown of the respiratory process of the lungs, resulting in a lack of oxygen and severe child .  When the severity of such a process only the child help mechanical ventilation (breathing special gas mixture through a tube inserted into the trachea), but it can occur as a complication of severe bronchopulmonary dysplasia Dysplasia - what is it? .

What is bronchopulmonary dysplasia and why it occurs

Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) - a chronic lung disease that develops in newborns during the treatment of respiratory disorders by means of mechanical ventilation (ventilator) with high concentrations of oxygen. Manifested BDL respiratory failure, oxygen starvation of tissues and organs, persistent (sometimes irreversible) patency of the bronchi (obstruction) and characteristic changes on X-ray.

Currently, it is one of the most common diseases in preterm infants, with nursing that apply mechanical ventilation. The frequency of BPD increases with the development of technology of nursing preterm infants. At the heart of BPD is damage to the bronchi and alveoli of the underdeveloped high pressure and concentrated oxygen inspired mixture. Matter also factors such as concomitant lung diseases (hyaline membrane disease, pneumonia, etc.), congenital heart disease Heart defects - time heals? Infections, congenital predisposition, lack of fat-soluble vitamins A and E, and so on.

BPD develops more frequently than lower birth weight and more pronounced than had signs of prematurity.

As shown

After initial improvement of the child in an artificial lung ventilation (ALV) after a while there comes a deterioration with the increase of respiratory failure after removal from the ventilator child breathes (up to 100 breaths per minute), his face takes bluish tint when breathing drawn intercostal spaces , lengthening the exhalation, the child breathes with a whistle. In severe BPD remove the child from the ventilator fails, since he immediately begins to suffocate.

In less severe cases the child slowly (with frequent exacerbations) improved for six months, a year or even more. Some of the children of BPD fails and leads to disability.

The diagnosis is confirmed by BPD characteristic changes on X-ray.

Treatment of BPD is aimed at maintaining a constant supply of light in enough oxygen, it covers the needs of all organs and tissues. This is achieved by means of the ventilator, with the improvement of the child usually transferred to the preheated oxygen flow via nasal cannula special for a long time.

Drug treatment is aimed at preventing edema Prevention and treatment of edema - it is important to understand the root cause   lungs (diuretics), prevention of joining lung infections (antibiotics), removal of the inflammatory response and the prevention of proliferation of connective tissue in the lungs (steroids), improved patency of the bronchi (drugs that enhance the bronchi) and the cardiovascular system (heart medication). Be sure to appoint vitamins A and E, the lack of which is of great importance for the treatment of BPD.

BDL - a serious illness, but with proper and timely treatment of lung function in most cases is reduced to school age.

Galina Romanenko