Respiratory infection

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A respiratory tract infection is an infection of the respiratory tract by pathogenic agents .

DALY of respiratory infections per 100,000 population in 2002.
  • no data
  • less than 100
  • 100-700
  • 700-1400
  • 1400-2100
  • 2100-2800
  • 2800-3500
  • 3500-4200
  • 4200-4900
  • 4900-5600
  • 5600-6300
  • 6300-7000
  • more than 7000

    • Classification

    Respiratory infections can be roughly divided into two classes:

    • Upper respiratory tract infection : infection of the upper respiratory tract, e.g. B. the mucous membrane of the nose or sinuses . (Upper Respiratory Tract Infection (URTI)); see also cold
    • Lower respiratory tract infection : Lower respiratory tract infection, e.g. B. the trachea and bronchi (Lower Respiratory Tract Infection (LRTI))

    Respiratory infections can also be systematically named after the exact location of the inflammation caused by the infection . As a rule, however, this is not associated with a strictly isolated infestation of the relevant section; this is clinically the exception. This expresses which section of the airways is mainly responsible for the symptoms .

    In addition, there are numerous mixed forms in which two or more sections of the airways are affected, such as rhinosinusitis , tracheobronchitis , laryngotracheitis , etc. The inflammation of the entire lung tissue is referred to as pneumonia .

    The adjective “infectious” should always be used to distinguish the inflammation from other causes (e.g. allergies or poisons).

    Diagnosis

    The respective pathogens cannot be distinguished from one another on the basis of the symptoms. Modern multiplex PCR methods for laboratory diagnostics cover numerous pathogens. In addition, they have a very high sensitivity and specificity . This can be used to detect viruses, which cause around 80% of respiratory infections, but also bacterial pathogens that are difficult to cultivate. The use of antibiotics that are not indicated for viral pathogens can be reduced through efficient screening.

    Monitoring in Germany

    Since 1994 around 500 to 600 medical practices in Germany have participated free of charge in the Praxisindex , a reporting system in which observational data on acute respiratory diseases (ARE) are reported on a weekly basis. The practice index compares the relative deviation of the observed ARE cases averaged over all practices with a "normal level" determined for each practice, whereby both the practice specialization and a certain background ARE activity are assumed. The practice index is published for both the federal and state levels on a website of the Robert Koch Institute .

    Since 2011, the flu web from the Robert Koch Institute has been using symptoms of a respiratory infection in registered residents of Germany to predict the activity of acute respiratory diseases. This was able to show a significant decrease in the rate of respiratory infections in the middle of 2020. The cause of this was seen in the measures taken against the COVID-19 pandemic .

    See also

    literature

    • Marianne Abele-Horn: Antimicrobial Therapy. Decision support for the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. With the collaboration of Werner Heinz, Hartwig Klinker, Johann Schurz and August Stich, 2nd, revised and expanded edition. Peter Wiehl, Marburg 2009, ISBN 978-3-927219-14-4 , pp. 77-100 ( infections of the respiratory tract ).

    Web links

    Individual evidence

    1. ↑ http://www.onmeda.de/krankheiten/atemwegsinfektion-symptome-6837-4.html
    2. ↑ LADR informs: Respiratory screening PCR
    3. ↑ Uphoff, Helmut 1998: The 'Praxisindex' as a size for regional considerations of influenza activity, in: rki.de https://influenza.rki.de/Content/Praxisindex.pdf (accessed on March 20, 2020)
    4. ↑ RKI (ed.) No year: How is flu activity recorded in Germany? https://www.rki.de/SharedDocs/FAQ/Influenza/FAQ06.html (accessed on March 20, 2020)
    5. ↑ RKI (Ed.) O. Year: Glossary (accessed on March 20, 2020) https://influenza.rki.de/Glossar.aspx
    6. ↑ General information on flu web. In: RKI. Robert Koch Institute, accessed July 5, 2020 .
    7. ↑ FluWeb weekly report 01.06. - 07.06.2020. In: RKI. Robert Koch Institute, accessed July 5, 2020 .