Complementary and alternative medicine for respiratory tract infectious diseases

Abstract

Introduction. Upper respiratory tract disease (UPTD) is a major public health problem and a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The highest risk are young children, the elderly, the chronically ill and those with a suppressed or compromised immune system. Viruses are the predominant cause of respiratory tract diseases and include RNA viruses such as respiratory syncytial virus, influenza virus, parainfluenza virus, metapneumovirus, rhinovirus and coronavirus. Aim of the study. Research on the clinical picture and medication of upper respiratory tract disorders. Methods and materials. The study included the analysis of medical records and the collection of information on the symptoms and medication of upper respiratory tract disorders. Results. Gender prevalence indicates the predominance of the disease among males (70%) over females (30%). Most affected are people included in the age ranges: 30-39 years (31.6%), 40-49 years (26.6%) and 50-59 years (18.3%). Most patients come from rural areas: 41 patients out of a total of 60 included in the study, which represents 68.3%, the rest of the patients come from urban areas - 31.7%. Analyzing the distribution of patients after employment, we note that more frequently suffer from diseases of the upper respiratory tract studied, patients who have a job (65%). They are frequently subjected to risk factors predisposing to the development of pathologies. The subjective symptoms reported at admission were: rhinorrhea (36.6% of the total number of patients), headache (33.3%) and upper airway obstruction (25%). The treatment is aimed at restoring the vital functions of the body (oxygen therapy, administration of etiopathogenetic, symptomatic and prophylactic treatment: antibiotic therapy to suspect the association of bacterial infection, analgesics-antipyretics to confirm hyperpyrexia, administration of antiviral treatment, Conclusion. The pathology of the upper respiratory tract presents an important medico-social problem due to the high incidence during the seasonal period and the unfavorable epidemic situation during the pandemic period of the last years, caused by the Covid-19 virus. A special role is given to the administration of antibiotics, the emphasis being on avoiding their administration in possible situations and antibiotic resistance prophylaxis. The effectiveness of the associated treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases has been demonstrated by shortening the hospital stay, discharging from the hospital with improving the health of patients and preventing clinical relapse (recurrence of symptoms) by following the recommendations of the otolaryngologist. Contrary to international recommendations for combating antibiotic resistance, the study highlighted the widespread use of antibiotic therapy in the treatment of researched diseases; this is all the more worrying as chemotherapeutic preparations are used in high doses over long periods of time and in the pharmacotherapy of COVID-19.