Differential Diagnoses of Bronchitis

Total Length: 638 words ( 2 double-spaced pages)

Total Sources: 2

Page 1 of 2

Bronchitis is a condition involving inflammation of the airways that transport air to the lungs, which are commonly known as the bronchial tubes. The inflammation of the bronchial tubes results in a cough that usually brings mucus. From a clinical perspective, bronchitis is usually diagnosed based on cough as well as occasional wheeze, dyspnea, and sputum (Wark, 2015). As part of the diagnosis, the physician or clinician examines various clinical characteristics of this condition. Some of the clinical characteristics of bronchitis include a lower fever, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and wheezing. These clinical characteristics in turn help to determine whether the individual suffers from acute or chronic bronchitis. For acute bronchitis, these clinical characteristics last for few weeks while chronic bronchitis is characterized by more severe clinical attributes.

The diagnosis of bronchitis also entail using different diagnostic, laboratory or imaging tools. One of the diagnostic or screening tools used to diagnose bronchitis is chest x-ray, which is carried out to determine whether the bronchial tubes and lungs are normal. This diagnostic tool is appropriate for diagnosis of this condition because it helps to determine the condition of the bronchial tubes and lungs with respect to any inflammation. The second diagnostic/screening tool used for this condition is sputum tests, which helps to examine mucus in coughs. These tests are appropriate for diagnosis of the condition since they help to identify mucus in the cough, which is one of the major clinical characteristics of bronchitis.
For a patient suffering from this condition, the most suitable course of action involves therapeutic management. Therapeutic management of this condition…

[…… parts of this paper are missing, click here to view the entire document ]

…The patient could be diagnosed with asthma if there is evidence of airway obstruction during physical examination. In addition to airway obstruction, this differential diagnosis could be applicable if physical examination shows signs of wheezing, chronic cough, and bronchial breathing sounds. The second differential diagnosis that could be applied to this patient is acute cough, which is the most common complaint by patients during physician visit (Holzinger et al., 2014). This differential diagnosis could be applied to the patient if his/her clinical history shows a history of smoking, past respiratory tract infections, history of asthma and allergies, family history of respiratory tract infections, and a history of breathing problems. In addition to these elements, the patient could be diagnosed with acute cough if physical examination shows fever, pain in the throat or limbs, dyspnea, and….....

Show More ⇣


     Open the full completed essay and source list


OR

     Order a one-of-a-kind custom essay on this topic


sample essay writing service

Cite This Resource:

Latest APA Format (6th edition)

Copy Reference
"Differential Diagnoses Of Bronchitis" (2019, December 14) Retrieved April 29, 2024, from
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/differential-diagnoses-bronchitis-2174581

Latest MLA Format (8th edition)

Copy Reference
"Differential Diagnoses Of Bronchitis" 14 December 2019. Web.29 April. 2024. <
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/differential-diagnoses-bronchitis-2174581>

Latest Chicago Format (16th edition)

Copy Reference
"Differential Diagnoses Of Bronchitis", 14 December 2019, Accessed.29 April. 2024,
https://www.aceyourpaper.com/essays/differential-diagnoses-bronchitis-2174581