ABSTRACT
I. Introduction Acute bronchitis is an exceedingly common disorder encountered in the ambulatory care setting. It has resulted in approximately 2.5 million visits to U.S. physicians in 1998 (1), affects 44/1000 adults in the United Kingdom each year (2), and is the fifth most common reason for visits to general practitioners in Australia (3). Despite the high incidence worldwide, a uniform definition is lacking, diagnosis is not standardized, and sensitive or specific confirmatory tests are not available. Of greater concern is the continued use of antibiotics for acute bronchitis despite expert recommendations against this practice.
