Diagnosis of viral bronchitis | Virus bronchitis – You should know that!

Diagnosis of viral bronchitis

The diagnosis of viral bronchitis is usually limited to a survey of the current symptoms and a brief physical examination. In addition to the classic symptoms of the common cold, there are also typical complaints of the respiratory tract. With the aid of a stethoscope, the attending physician can then listen to the lungs, and certain breathing sounds confirm the suspicion of viral bronchitis.

Often a kind of whistling, a so-called “gulling” can be heard without a stethoscope. Listening with a stethoscope can rule out dangerous pneumonia in particular, which is often conspicuous by so-called rales. Important in the diagnosis is the distinction from bacterial bronchitis.

This is often more persistent and requires a different, possibly antibiotic treatment. A yellowish-green color of the mucus suggests a bacterial disease. A particularly high fever, severe cough and a long duration of the disease also indicate a potential bacterial infection.

If necessary, a blood test or microscopic examination of the mucus must be used to identify the exact pathogen so that the therapy can be targeted. Viral bronchitis can often be difficult to distinguish from bacterial bronchitis. Viral bronchitis is much more common and represents the more harmless clinical picture overall.However, the transitions to bacterial bronchitis can be fluid.

Particularly in particularly young or particularly old affected persons, an existing viral bronchitis can be followed by a bacterial secondary function, so-called “bacterial superinfection“. The duration and severity of the disease thus increases. In contrast to viral bronchitis, the bacterial infection is accompanied by greatly increased temperatures up to 41°C.

The mucus in the respiratory tract can turn yellow-green. Bacterial pneumonia must also be clarified, as it can be a dangerous complication of bacterial bronchitis. When listening with a stethoscope, the attending physician can often hear rattling noises that indicate lung involvement.

In case of uncertainty, a blood test should be performed to confirm the suspicion of bacterial involvement. Differentiating between viral and bacterial bronchitis is a particular challenge because bacterial infections, although much rarer, can have many complications and, unlike viral bronchitis, require antibiotic treatment. Antibiotic therapy is very important in bacterial bronchitis. If you have bacterial bronchitis, we recommend our page on: Which antibiotics help in bronchitis?