Spring 2026 - Resp Patho

Respiratory tract infections can affect both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Knowing the difference helps us understand symptoms.Pleuritic pain, a sharp chest pain, often begins abruptly. It can be unilateral, localized, and worsened by movement.Airway diseases involve inflammation and increased airway responsiveness, leading to bronchospasm and increased mucus.The tone of bronchial smooth muscles and airway secretions determine airway radius. Understanding these functions is key to treatment.We have different types of influenza vaccines. The inactivated vaccine is given by injection, while the live attenuated one is intranasal.Pneumonia is an inflammation of the lung structures. It's caused by infectious agents like bacteria and viruses, or non-infectious factors.Several factors facilitate the development of pneumonia, including virulent organisms, a large inoculum, and impaired host defenses.Pneumonia is classified by its source, either community or hospital-acquired, and by the patient's immune status.Tuberculosis is caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which can infect any organ but most commonly affects the lungs.A positive tuberculin skin test indicates prior infection, not necessarily active tuberculosis. Further evaluation is needed for diagnosis.