Lower Respiratory Tract Infections in Primary Care, Review Article

Abstract

Any infectious illness of the upper or lower respiratory tract is classified as a respiratory tract infection (RTI). Acute bronchitis, bronchiolitis, pneumonia, and tracheitis are examples of lower respiratory tract infections (LRTIs). The most prevalent cause of death from lower respiratory infections is pneumococcal pneumonia. Pneumonia is a major cause of death globally. new advances in pneumonia diagnosis and treatment have been made, identification of new pathogens as well as the development of newer therapeutic agents like fluoroquinolones, macrolides, streptogramins, oxazolidinones, and –actam antibiotics. Despite these advancements, respiratory tract infections continue to be a challenge in both the diagnostic and therapeutic domains. Because detecting and treating pneumonia may be difficult, a number of professional organizations have created treatment recommendations. In this review we’ll be looking at LRTIs and pneumonia epidemiology, etiology, diagnosis and treatment.