Condition Lookup

Bronchitis

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Sub-category: Infectious Respiratory Conditions

Symptoms:
persistent cough (often productive); mucus production (yellow, green, or clear); wheezing; shortness of breath; chest discomfort; fatigue; low-grade fever

Root Cause:
Inflammation of the bronchial tubes, usually due to viral infections (acute bronchitis) or long-term irritants like smoking (chronic bronchitis).

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Physical examination, listening to lung sounds, chest X-ray (to rule out pneumonia), sputum analysis, and sometimes spirometry for chronic cases.

Treatment:
Symptomatic relief (rest, hydration, humidifier use), bronchodilators for wheezing, and, in bacterial cases, antibiotics. Chronic bronchitis management includes smoking cessation and pulmonary rehabilitation.

Medications:
Bronchodilators like albuterol (beta-agonist), corticosteroids like fluticasone (anti-inflammatory), and antibiotics such as doxycycline if bacterial infection is confirmed.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Acute bronchitis is common, with millions of cases annually worldwide, while chronic bronchitis is a major component of COPD, affecting about 10% of adults over 45.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, exposure to pollutants, history of respiratory infections, weakened immunity, and asthma.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Acute bronchitis typically resolves within weeks. Chronic bronchitis requires ongoing management and may lead to progressive lung damage.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Pneumonia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and respiratory failure in severe cases.

Anaphylaxis-Related Airway Swelling

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Respiratory Emergencies

Sub-category: Upper Airway Obstruction

Symptoms:
sudden onset of throat tightness; difficulty breathing; stridor; facial swelling; rash; hypotension; tachycardia

Root Cause:
Severe allergic reaction triggers histamine release, causing airway swelling, bronchoconstriction, and systemic vasodilation.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical presentation and history of allergen exposure; confirmed by elevated serum tryptase levels post-reaction.

Treatment:
Immediate administration of intramuscular epinephrine, followed by airway management, IV fluids, and additional medications for symptom control.

Medications:
Epinephrine (adrenergic agonist) as the first-line treatment. Antihistamines like diphenhydramine (H1 blocker) and ranitidine (H2 blocker). Corticosteroids such as methylprednisolone to reduce late-phase reactions. Beta-agonists like albuterol for bronchospasm.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Approximately 1.6%–5% lifetime risk in the general population; more common with increased allergen exposure.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Known allergies, previous anaphylaxis, atopic conditions (e.g., asthma, eczema), or medications like penicillin.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Excellent with prompt epinephrine administration; potentially fatal if untreated.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Airway obstruction, anoxic brain injury, cardiovascular collapse, or death.

Asthma exacerbation

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Respiratory Emergencies

Sub-category: Lower Respiratory Conditions

Symptoms:
shortness of breath; wheezing; chest tightness; coughing; rapid breathing; use of accessory muscles for breathing; cyanosis in severe cases

Root Cause:
Acute inflammation and narrowing of the airways caused by triggers like allergens, infections, or irritants, leading to increased airway resistance and airflow obstruction.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation (symptoms, history of asthma), physical exam (wheezing on auscultation), and pulmonary function tests like spirometry or peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR). Pulse oximetry and arterial blood gases (ABGs) may be used in severe cases.

Treatment:
Oxygen therapy, bronchodilators (short-acting beta-agonists like albuterol), corticosteroids (oral or IV), anticholinergics (ipratropium), and sometimes magnesium sulfate in severe cases. Address triggers and provide mechanical ventilation if needed.

Medications:
Short-acting beta-agonists (SABAs) like albuterol (bronchodilator), inhaled anticholinergics like ipratropium (bronchodilator), systemic corticosteroids like prednisone or methylprednisolone (anti-inflammatory), and magnesium sulfate (smooth muscle relaxant) in severe exacerbations.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Asthma affects about 5-10% of the global population; exacerbations vary widely but are a common cause of emergency department visits.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Poor asthma control, exposure to allergens or irritants, respiratory infections, exercise, cold air, smoking, and comorbidities like obesity.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With timely and appropriate treatment, most exacerbations are reversible. Severe cases without treatment can lead to respiratory failure and death.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Hypoxia, respiratory failure, pneumothorax, pneumonia, and cardiovascular strain.

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbation

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Respiratory Emergencies

Sub-category: Lower Respiratory Conditions

Symptoms:
increased shortness of breath; wheezing; chronic cough; increased sputum production; fatigue; cyanosis; confusion in severe cases

Root Cause:
Acute worsening of chronic airflow limitation due to increased airway inflammation, mucus hypersecretion, and possible infection or exposure to irritants.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical history, physical exam (wheezing, decreased breath sounds), pulse oximetry, arterial blood gases (ABGs), chest X-ray, and sometimes sputum analysis or blood tests. Spirometry is used to assess baseline lung function.

Treatment:
Oxygen therapy (target SpO2

Medications:
Albuterol (short-acting beta-agonist), ipratropium (anticholinergic), systemic corticosteroids like prednisone or methylprednisolone for inflammation, and antibiotics like azithromycin or amoxicillin /clavulanate for bacterial infections.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 10-15% of adults worldwide; exacerbations are a leading cause of hospitalizations.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, exposure to air pollutants, respiratory infections, poorly controlled COPD, and advanced age.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Recovery is possible with treatment; recurrent exacerbations accelerate lung function decline and increase mortality risk.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Respiratory failure, pneumonia, pulmonary hypertension, and right-sided heart failure (cor pulmonale).

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Respiratory Emergencies

Sub-category: Lower Respiratory Conditions

Symptoms:
severe shortness of breath; rapid breathing; cyanosis; hypoxia unresponsive to oxygen therapy; low blood pressure; organ dysfunction in severe cases

Root Cause:
Widespread inflammation and increased permeability of the pulmonary capillaries, leading to alveolar fluid accumulation, impaired gas exchange, and hypoxemia. Often caused by sepsis, trauma, or pneumonia.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, arterial blood gases (ABGs) showing hypoxemia, chest X-ray or CT scan (diffuse bilateral infiltrates), and exclusion of cardiac causes (normal pulmonary capillary wedge pressure).

Treatment:
Mechanical ventilation with low tidal volumes, prone positioning, sedation, and supportive care for underlying causes (e.g., antibiotics for infection, fluids, and vasopressors for shock).

Medications:
Sedatives like propofol or midazolam (reduce ventilatory distress), vasopressors like norepinephrine (support blood pressure), antibiotics for infections, and diuretics like furosemide for fluid overload.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in 10-15% of ICU patients; mortality ranges from 30-50%, depending on severity.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Sepsis, major trauma, pneumonia, aspiration, pancreatitis, blood transfusions, and inhalation injuries.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; depends on severity and treatment. Survivors may have lasting pulmonary fibrosis and reduced quality of life.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Respiratory failure, secondary infections, pulmonary fibrosis, and multi-organ failure.

Pulmonary embolism (PE)

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Respiratory Emergencies

Sub-category: Pulmonary Vascular Conditions

Symptoms:
sudden shortness of breath; chest pain (pleuritic or sharp); cough; hemoptysis; rapid heart rate; lightheadedness; cyanosis; leg swelling (if deep vein thrombosis is present)

Root Cause:
Blockage of one or more pulmonary arteries by a blood clot (usually from a deep vein thrombosis), causing impaired blood flow, increased pulmonary vascular resistance, and hypoxemia.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical evaluation, D-dimer test, imaging like CT pulmonary angiography (CTPA), ventilation-perfusion (V/Q) scan, and Doppler ultrasound for DVT.

Treatment:
Anticoagulation (heparin, warfarin, or DOACs), thrombolytic therapy in severe cases, oxygen therapy, and sometimes surgical or catheter-directed embolectomy.

Medications:
Heparin (anticoagulant for immediate effect), warfarin or direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) like rivaroxaban or apixaban (long-term anticoagulation), and alteplase (thrombolytic agent for massive PE).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Incidence is approximately 60-70 cases per 100,000 people annually.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Prolonged immobility, surgery, trauma, pregnancy, oral contraceptive use, cancer, and genetic clotting disorders.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With prompt treatment, survival rates are high. Untreated, it can be fatal within hours.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Pulmonary hypertension, right heart failure, and recurrent embolism.

Pneumothorax (spontaneous or tension)

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Respiratory Emergencies

Sub-category: Pleural Disorders

Symptoms:
sudden chest pain; shortness of breath; rapid heart rate; cyanosis; hypotension (in tension pneumothorax); tracheal deviation (in tension pneumothorax); decreased breath sounds on the affected side

Root Cause:
Air enters the pleural space, causing lung collapse. Tension pneumothorax involves increasing pressure, compressing mediastinal structures, and impairing venous return.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Clinical presentation (tracheal deviation, hypotension, and decreased breath sounds in tension pneumothorax), chest X-ray (collapsed lung and air in pleural space), and ultrasound (rapid bedside diagnosis).

Treatment:
Needle decompression followed by chest tube placement for tension pneumothorax; observation or chest tube placement for spontaneous pneumothorax depending on size and symptoms.

Medications:
Analgesics like morphine or acetaminophen (pain relief) and sedatives if procedural interventions are needed.

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Spontaneous pneumothorax affects approximately 7-28 per 100,000 people annually; tension pneumothorax is less common but life-threatening.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Smoking, tall and thin body type, trauma, underlying lung diseases (COPD, cystic fibrosis), and mechanical ventilation.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
With timely intervention, prognosis is excellent; untreated tension pneumothorax is rapidly fatal.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Recurrent pneumothorax, infection, pleural adhesions, and respiratory failure in severe cases.

COVID-19 Complications

Specialty: Emergency and Urgent Care

Category: Respiratory Emergencies

Sub-category: Infectious Respiratory Conditions

Symptoms:
severe shortness of breath; high fever; persistent cough; chest pain; hypoxia; confusion; fatigue; multisystem organ failure; loss of taste or smell

Root Cause:
Severe respiratory distress or systemic involvement caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, leading to complications such as ARDS (acute respiratory distress syndrome), thromboembolic events, or cytokine storm.

How it's Diagnosed: videos
Positive RT-PCR or antigen test for SARS-CoV-2, chest imaging (X-ray or CT), blood tests (D-dimer, CRP, ferritin), and pulse oximetry or arterial blood gas analysis.

Treatment:
Supportive care (oxygen therapy, ventilators for severe cases), antiviral drugs (e.g., remdesivir), anti-inflammatory treatments like dexamethasone, anticoagulants, and immunomodulators.

Medications:
Antivirals such as remdesivir (antiviral), corticosteroids like dexamethasone (anti-inflammatory), anticoagulants like enoxaparin (anticoagulant), and monoclonal antibodies like tocilizumab (immunomodulator).

Prevalence: How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Global pandemic with millions affected; complications occur in approximately 10-15% of cases, particularly in those with comorbidities.

Risk Factors: Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Older age, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and immunosuppression.

Prognosis: The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Varies widely; mild cases recover fully, while severe cases may result in prolonged hospitalization, long-term organ damage, or death.

Complications: Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
ARDS, sepsis, thromboembolic events (e.g., pulmonary embolism), myocarditis, kidney failure, and long COVID symptoms like fatigue and brain fog.