An analysis of the clinical picture of respiratory tract infections in primary care patients
Aneta Rzepka1, Anna Mania2
Aim: The aim of this study was to analyse the clinical picture of respiratory tract infections among adult patients visiting their general practitioners. Materials and methods: The analysis included 301 adult patients who reported to their general practitioners due to respiratory tract infection. W assessed clinical symptoms, age, final diagnosis, probable aetiology, additional tests, including Actim® Influenza A&B rapid test to confirm influenza infection, radiographic and laboratory findings, as well as comorbidities, treatment used, vaccinations against influenza, and smoking habits. Results: Upper respiratory tract infections accounted for the vast majority of cases (74%), and these primarily included viral infections (62%), some of which required a change of therapy (23%) due to suspected secondary bacterial infection; lower respiratory tract infections accounted for 26% of cases. The main symptoms reported by the patients included cough, pharyngeal pain, fever, rhinitis, general malaise, nasal obstruction, headache, muscle pain and dysphonia. Acute pharyngitis was the dominant diagnosis (27%), followed by acute upper respiratory tract infection of multiple sites (13.6%), acute nasopharyngitis (known as common cold) (10%), purulent tonsillitis (11.6%), acute bronchitis (11%) and influenza (11%). Antibiotic therapy was used in 60% of patients with upper respiratory tract infection and 68% of patients with lower respiratory tract infection. Conclusions: The majority of patients were diagnosed with viral infections. The highest incidence of respiratory tract infections was observed in elderly individuals and patients with chronic cardiovascular diseases, lung diseases, diabetes mellitus and cancer. Smokers are more likely to develop lower respiratory tract infections (confirmed by additional tests) compared to other groups of patients. Individuals vaccinated against influenza account for a small proportion of patients.