RT Book, Section
A1 Sutton, S. Scott
A1 Bosso, John A.
A2 Sutton, S. Scott
SR Print(0)
ID 7251753
T1 Chapter 21. Lower Respiratory Tract Infections
T2 McGraw-Hill's NAPLEX® Review Guide
YR 2011
FD 2011
PB The McGraw-Hill Companies
PP New York, NY
SN 978-0-07-175562-7
LK accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=7251753
RD 2024/04/24
AB Respiratory  tract  infections  are  a  major  cause  of  morbidity  and  mortality  in  the  United  States  and  represent  a  common  reason  for  which  patients  seek  medical  care.  The  most  common  infections  involving  the  lower  respiratory  tract  are  bronchitis,  bronchiolitis,  and  pneumonia.  Lower  respiratory  tract  infections  (LRTIs)  in  children  and  adults  commonly  result  from  viral  or  bacterial  invasion  of  lung  parenchyma.  Viral  infections  are  diagnosed  by  the  recognition  of  characteristic  constellation  of  clinical  signs  and  symptoms.  Treatment  of  viral  LRTI  consists  largely  of  supportive  care  measures.  Bacterial  LRTIs  (in  particular  bacterial  pneumonia)  requires  expedient,  effective,  and  specific  antimicrobial  therapy.  An  appropriate  treatment  regimen  for  the  patient  with  a  LRTI  can  be  established  with  the  aid  of  a  thorough  medical  history,  physical  examination,  chest  radiograph,  knowledge  of  common  bacterial  pathogens,  and  results  of  properly  collected  cultures.  This  chapter  will  focus  on  pneumonia;  see  the  special  considerations  section  of  this  chapter  for  information  on  bronchitis  and  bronchiolitis.