ACUTE BRONCHITIS: FROM UNDERSTANDING ETIOLOGY TO ADEQUATE THERAPY
Acute bronchitis is an urgent problem of modern medicine. The widespread occurrence of acute bronchitis dictates the need for a conscious approach to the treatment of this pathology, while treatment is a complex process that includes adequate etiotropic therapy, tools that improve bronchial drainage, as well as modern anti-inflammatory drugs. In the framework of the differential diagnosis, such pathological processes as pneumonia, whooping cough, sinusitis, bronchial asthma, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease are considered. Special attention is paid to differential diagnosis with community-acquired pneumonia. The leading role of viral infection in the onset of acute bronchitis is the rationale for starting antiviral therapy for the disease, while the widespread use of antibacterial agents is an error. Attention is focused on the necessity of prescribing not only etiotropic, but also pathogenetic means of treating acute bronchitis, and lists the most effective mucolytic and anti-inflammatory drugs. In the section of anti-inflammatory drugs, modern drugs are discussed, in particular, fenspiride, which demonstrates its high efficacy in patients with acute bronchitis. In the section of non-pharmacological treatment areas, a new physiotherapeutic technique of vibration and compression effects on the chest is described.