JEDDAH: Lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) place a considerable strain on the health budget and are generally more serious than upper respiratory infections. Since 1993 there has been a slight reduction in the total number of deaths from lower respiratory tract infections. However, from 2002 they remain the leading cause of deaths among all infectious diseases, and they account for four million deaths worldwide and about seven percent of all deaths, according to Dr. Adel Mahmoud Khattab, professor of pulmonary medicine at Ain Shams University, Cairo.
Khattab, who is also adviser to the Egyptian Ministry of Health and Population and vice president of the Egyptian Scientific Society of lung disease, said a high proportion of deaths around the world occurred due to respiratory diseases, becoming equivalent to the rates of mortality resulting from other diseases such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria.
There are a number of acute and chronic infections that can affect the lower respiratory tract. The two most common infections are bronchitis and pneumonia. Influenza affects both the upper and lower respiratory tracts. Antibiotics are often thought to be the first line treatment in lower respiratory tract infections. However, these are not indicated in viral infections. It is important to use appropriate antibiotic selection based on the infecting organism and to ensure this therapy changes with the evolving nature of these infections and the emerging resistance to conventional therapies.
While often used as a synonym for pneumonia, the rubric of LRTI can also be applied to other types of infection including lung abscess, acute bronchitis and emphysema. “Symptoms include shortness of breath, weakness, high fever, coughing and fatigue,” Khattab said.
Asked for the incidence of LRTI in Saudi Arabia, Khattab said although the incidence was not high compared to many other countries, the Kingdom remained vulnerable to such problems due to the periodic overcrowding caused by Haj and Umrah pilgrims who come from all over the world.
World Health Organization recently published a study based on 73 indicators from 193 countries that are members of the organization. The study presented the major shifts in the patterns of medical deaths anticipated in the coming years and covered important information related to lower respiratory tract diseases.
Estimates indicate that 20 percent of the total deaths all over the world in coming years will be due to various lower respiratory tract infections, said Khattab.
He noted the steady increase in the rate of bacteria resistance to antibiotics commonly used in such treatments. He confirmed that the way to fight this phenomenon was by discovering the nature and type of resistance as to determine the right antibiotics needed for each case on the short term.
There are various types of diseases affecting the respiratory system, among them the common cold, which is the most prevalent LRTI in the world followed by influenza, bronchitis and ending with tuberculosis. Dr. Khattab stressed on the importance of accurate diagnosis of this disease in to reach meticulous identification of the appropriate treatment and the most effective antibiotic, with a special referral to the pharmaceutical Zithromax composition.
