Acute Upper Respiratory Infection
Introduction

An acute upper respiratory infection (URI) is also referred to as the common cold. It normally affects the nasal passages and throat. The upper respiratory tract consists of the nose, pharynx, throat, bronchi, and larynx. Treatment for acute URI is usually simple not unless one has a chronic respiratory condition like asthma. This is one of the most common illnesses that leads to more doctor visits and absenteeism from work and school than any other illness every year. During a one-year period, it is estimated that people in the United States will suffer one billion colds (Santee et al., 2016). Acute URI is mostly caused by a virus, however, there are others that might be caused by bacteria. The virus will inflame the membranes in the lining of the nose and throat. There are more than 200 different viruses that can cause colds. The virus that causes the majority of colds is the rhinoviruses. While the common cold is the most known URI there are others like sinusitis, epiglottitis, pharyngitis, and tracheobronchitis. It should be noted that influenza is not a URI because it is a systemic illness. An acute URI is normally harmless, although it might not feel harmless. Children who are younger than six years are the greatest risk of suffering from colds. Healthy adults can expect to have about two or three colds annually. A common cold will clear in a week or 10 days. Smokers are likely to experience symptoms for longer periods. If the symptoms do not improve as the days pass one should see a doctor.

The cold virus enters a person's body through their mouth, nose, or eyes. The virus can spread through droplets in the air after a person who is sick coughs, talks, or sneezes. The virus can also be spread by hand-to-hand contact with an infected person. Sharing contaminated objects like utensils, toys, telephones, or towels. When a person touches their nose, mouth, or eyes after contact with an infected person they are likely to catch a cold. Children younger than six years are at a greater risk of getting colds especially if they are in child-care settings. These children do not have a strong immune system. Since children tend to touch their eyes, mouth, and nose quite often they are most likely to get or spread the virus.

Prescriptive Drug Therapies

There is not medicine or prescription that can cure an acute URI. The goal of medication is to ease the symptoms and reduce the discomfort that is caused by the symptoms of URI. Silverman et al. (2017) posits people should avoid taking antibiotics when they have acute URI. This is because antibiotics cannot cure viruses and they are only used for treating bacterial infections. There is a tendency for people to purchase antibiotics when they have acute URI and this causes the body to have antibiotic resistance.

To ease the discomfort of acute URI one should consider using the following medications. Analgesics are used for reducing pain and fever. The preferred Analgesic is acetaminophen. However, one should...…times. Adjusting the temperature of the room will ensure that one is comfortable and they are not exposing them self to cold. However, one should not overheat the room. In case the air in the room is dry, a cool-mist humidifier can be used to moisten the air and assist to ease congestion and coughing. The humidifiers should be kept clean to prevent bacteria and molds from growing.

The best advice to Mr. Smith and the child is that the cold will clear after a week. Since they are planning on traveling, they should ensure that they keep the child warm at all times. Mr. Smith has requested for an antibiotic for the child. This should not be prescribed as it will not be effective in relieving the symptoms the child has (Silverman et al., 2017). The acute URI is viral and an antibiotic will not cure the virus. It might also lead to the child's body having antibiotic resistance and they will not be able to fight off infections that can be cured by antibiotics. The child should be prescribed medications that can assist in relieving the symptoms and help to make their travel less stressful. Mr. Smith should also be advised to postpone the travel if possible. This way the child will get enough rest and there is no chance of spreading the virus to others. Traveling means that they will meet and interact with different people along the journey. It might also be stressful for the child to experience different climates and zones when they are…