Bronchitis Differential Diagnoses

  • Author: Jazeela Fayyaz, DO; Chief Editor: Zab Mosenifar, MD   more...
 
Updated: Mar 29, 2011
 
 

Diagnostic Considerations

Streptococcal pharyngitis is most commonly caused by group A streptococci (45%) and anaerobes (18%), which often occur as a co-infection.

Much of the concern about diagnosing streptococcal pharyngitis is related to the complications of infection, particularly acute rheumatic fever and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis as a late complication. Therefore, maintaining a high level of suspicion for streptococci group A in the presence of pharyngitis is advisable.

Other medical issues/problems to consider include the following:

  • Exercise-induced asthma
  • Bacterial tracheitis
  • Cough
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Influenza
  • Hyperreactive airway disease
  • Retained foreign body
  • Tonsillitis
  • Occupational exposures

Differential Diagnoses

Proceed to Workup
 
 
Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Jazeela Fayyaz, DO  Senior Fellow, Department of Pulmonology, Lenox Hill Hospital

Jazeela Fayyaz, DO is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Physicians and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Klaus-Dieter Lessnau, MD, FCCP  Clinical Associate Professor of Medicine, New York University School of Medicine; Medical Director, Pulmonary Physiology Laboratory; Director of Research in Pulmonary Medicine, Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital

Klaus-Dieter Lessnau, MD, FCCP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Medical Association, American Thoracic Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Sepracor None None

Jeffrey Nascimento, DO, MS  Fellow, Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Lenox Hill Hospital

Jeffrey Nascimento, DO, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American Medical Association, American Osteopathic Association, American Thoracic Society, New York County Medical Society, and Society of Critical Care Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Roger B Olade, MD, MPH  Medical Director, Providence Health Group

Roger B Olade, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and American College of Physicians

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Samuel Ong, MD  Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Olive View-UCLA Medical Center

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

David FM Brown, MD  Associate Professor, Division of Emergency Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Vice Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital

David FM Brown, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska Medical Center College of Pharmacy; Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Paul Blackburn, DO, FACOEP, FACEP  Program Director, Department of Emergency Medicine, Maricopa Medical Center; Assistant Professor, Department of Surgery, University of Arizona College of Medicine

Paul Blackburn, DO, FACOEP, FACEP is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Osteopathic Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, and Arizona Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Robert E O'Connor, MD, MPH  Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Virginia Health System

Robert E O'Connor, MD, MPH is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American College of Physician Executives, American Heart Association, American Medical Association, Medical Society of Delaware, National Association of EMS Physicians, Society for Academic Emergency Medicine, and Wilderness Medical Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Zab Mosenifar, MD  Director, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Director, Women's Guild Pulmonary Disease Institute, Professor and Executive Vice Chair, Department of Medicine, Cedars Sinai Medical Center, University of California, Los Angeles, David Geffen School of Medicine

Zab Mosenifar, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Chest Physicians, American College of Physicians, American Federation for Medical Research, and American Thoracic Society

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

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