Assessment and Plan: Acute Bronchitis
By taking measures to prevent the common cold, in turn bronchitis may also be prevented since it often occurs as progression of viral infection or secondary bacterial infection after viral illness. It is important to stay hydrated by consuming adequate fluids. Please see the section on prevention and treatment of “common cold”.
An herbal extract, Pelargonium sidoides, (also known as South African Geranium, Umckaloabo, Kaloba, Umcka, and Zucol) has been studied in both adults and children. It produced good results in several trials as a treatment for acute bronchitis. The following signs and symptoms were reported as better in the Pelargonium sidoides group over placebo: cough, sputum, rales/rhonchi, chest pain at cough, dyspnea, hoarseness, fatigue, fever, headache, and limb pain. The dose in the studies most commonly used was 30 drops or 1.5 mL, 3 times per day given before meals. Adults and children over 12 years were given a dose of 30 drops, children over 6 up to 12 years old were provided a dose of 20 drops, and children under 6 years old were given 10 drops per dose for duration of either 7 or 14 days. There were few adverse effects occurring at similar rates in both treatment and placebo groups (1-3), and another study showed that an adverse reaction of bleeding was felt unlikely (4). It is currently widely available but the use of this agent should be overseen by a physician.