Abstract:

Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is a persistent infectious disease of the bronchial intima caused by bacteria. PBB is the leading cause of chronic cough in children at home and abroad. At present, it has been included in the guidelines for chronic cough in many countries and has been improved and updated. The diagnosis of PBB includes clinical diagnostic criteria and microbiology-based diagnostic criteria. Currently, amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium is recommended as the first choice for the treatment of PBB. When children are allergic to penicillin or resistant to amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium, cephalosporins or macrolides can be selected. Although cough relief after 2 weeks of appropriate antibiotic treatment is a critical part of the diagnosis of PBB, there is currently no consensus on the optimal course of antibiotics treatment. The prognosis of PBB is generally good, but frequent recurrence and repeated antibiotic use are common. There is also a risk of progression to bronchiectasis if PBB is recurrent and associated with Haemophilus influenzae infection. Up to now, the understanding of PBB in China started relatively late, and there are still deficiencies in diagnosis and treatment. In order to standardize PBB diagnosis and therapy, this article primarily presents the current state of PBB diagnosis and treatment and highlights issues that still need to be resolved in this area.

Key words: protracted bacterial bronchitis, chronic cough, diagnosis and treatment, child