Dr. Browne’s Respiratory Disease Handout
Viral Respiratory Illness (sore throat, voice changes, runny nose, cough with minimal shortness of breath, watery clear discharge and red eye, etc …. aka NO antibiotics necessary)
Vit D + K2 1000-5000 IU/day (adults), Vit C, Zinc, Magnesium citrate/threonate, Tumeric (high dose) (80+% hospitalized patients with COVID were Vit D deficient)
Water with electrolytes
Honey – spoon directly in mouth and don’t wash down (more effective than cough medications)
Salt water gargles
Rest & isolation & stress reduction
Ibuprofen and/or Tylenol
Nasal saline rinses/neddy pot
*You are infectious until symptoms have cleared, however, can have a normal post-infectious cough for up to 3 months!
If feeling short of breath, or coughing a lot, you may have a viral bronchitis or asthma/COPD —> Utilize Ventolin +/- Flovent inhaler with Aerochamber for several days trial.
If increasing shortness of breath, despite inhalers, + fever/chills/night sweats +/- chest pain = ?bacterial pneumonia —> reassessment +/- antibiotics
Other bacterial infections that can happen during or after a viral infection (aka potential need for antibiotics):
Sore throat + white patches on tonsils + no cough = ?strep throat (bacterial pharyngitis) —> reassessment +/- antibiotics
New persisting ear pain +/- hearing loss = ?otitis media (bacterial ear infection) —> reassessment +/- antibiotics
New tenderness to sinuses + purulent discharge + fever = ?bacterial sinusitis —> reassessment +/- antibiotics
Red eye(s) + discharge/glued shut = ?bacterial conjunctivitis —> reassessment +/- topical antibiotics
EXPECTIONS IF TREATED WITH ANTIBIOTICS: day 1-2 you may get worse, day 3 stabilize, day 4+ improve… if day 4+ you are getting worse —> reassessment +/- change of antibiotics/consider other diagnoses
*Seek emergency help if increasing shortness of breath, respiratory distress (nasal flaring, intercostal/supraclavicular in drawing, tripoding) or chest pain. If fever returns after days of resolution —> reassessment/ return to ED.
Created by Dr. S. Browne (2023, Ladysmith Acute Care)
