Respiratory infections are one of the most frequent causes of medical attention, bacteria being the main responsible.
Only a few types of bacteria cause disease by producing harmful substances (toxins). Bacterial infections can be classified as Gram-negative or Gram-positive.
How are respiratory bacterial infections spread?
Respiratory tract infections are acquired mainly by inhalation of pathogenic microorganisms.
The main route of transmission is droplets from coughing and sneezing or direct contact.
The main symptoms that are usually manifested are the following:
- Fever
- General malaise
- Nasal congestion
- Discharge
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Expectoration
- Shortness of breath
Actions to prevent spread
The best way to prevent transmission is to avoid contact with droplets or secretions of saliva, mucus… In addition to the following measures:
- Minimize contact with people with symptoms.
- Practice hand hygiene on a continuous basis.
- Maintain adequate ventilation in closed environments.
- Avoid sharing personal items.
Treatment
- Respiratory infections are the leading cause of antibiotic The increase in bacterial resistance is now considered a health emergency.
- Immunomodulators are able to enhance the defense mechanisms against viral, bacterial, parasitic and fungal diseases. They can be used as treatment or as adjuvant therapy for various microbial diseases.
- Bacterial treatments, such as autovaccine, are indicated in the preventive treatment of recurrent respiratory infections and with predisposition to infections such as: rhinitis, sinusitis, otitis, pharyngotonsillitis, bronchitis, recurrent urinary infections, etc., since they act as immunomodulators.
Bibliography:
- Introducción a las bacterias Por Larry M. Bush, MD, FACP, Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University.
- Infecciones transmitidas por el aire.Wallace Peters, MD (London), DSc (London), Docteur Honoris Causa (Université René Descartes, Paris), FRCP, DTM&H. Emeritus Professor of Medical Protozoology, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Londres, Reino Unido.
- Infecciones del tracto respiratorio: etiología bacteriana y viral en una población pediátrica. Dra. Teresita Somogyi, Dr. Wilber Alfaro, Dr. Marco L. Herrera y Dr. José F. Herrera.
- Consenso sobre diagnóstico y tratamiento de infecciones de vías respiratorias altas. Gustavo Lopardo, Aníbal Calmaggi, Liliana Clara, Gabriel Levy Hara, Analía Mykietiuk, Daniel Pryluka, Silvina Ruvinsky, Claudia Vujacich, Diego Yahni, Elizabeth Bogdanowicz, Manuel Klein, María J. López Furst, Claudia Pensotti, Maria J. Rial, Pablo Scapellato.
- Inmunomoduladores como terapia adyuvante en la enfermedad infecciosa Marisela García-Hernández, Graciela Guerrero-Ramírez, María de los Ángeles Castro-Corona, Carlos E. Medina-de-la-Garza.
