Upper Respiratory Tract Infections (URIs)
Prepared by:
DR. SALMA ELGAZZAR
INTRODUCTION
The upper respiratory tract consists of the airways from the nostrils to the vocal cords in the larynx, including the paranasal sinuses and the middle ear.
URIs are infections primarily affecting respiratory tract structures above the larynx.
ETIOLOGY OF URIs
URIs are the most common infectious diseases. They include:
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Rhinitis (common cold)
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Acute pharyngitis or tonsillopharyngitis
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Chronic tonsillitis
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Acute Otitis Media - Ear infections
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Sinusitis
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Epiglottitis
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Laryngitis
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Ear infections and pharyngitis cause the more severe complications (deafness and acute rheumatic fever, respectively).
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The vast majority of URIs have a viral etiology. More than 200 viruses can cause URIs.
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The most important ones are Rhinoviruses, which account for 25 to 30 percent of URIs (˃1/3 of cases).
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Respiratory syncytial viruses (RSVs), parainfluenza and influenza viruses, human metapneumovirus, and adenoviruses account for 25 to 35 percent.
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Coronaviruses account for 10 percent; and unidentified viruses account for the remainder.
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Acute viral infections predispose children to bacterial infections of the sinuses and middle ear, and aspiration of infected secretions and cells can result in LRIs.
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