[Acute tracheal and bronchial tree infections].

Acute respiratory tract infections are one of the main causes of airway inflammation, frequently triggered by viruses. Upper airway infections are highly prevalent in children, causing hospitalization in patients under 4 years of age. On the contrary acute bronchial infections are more frequent in adults and they are one of the major causes of consultation in emergency units and health centers. They include a wide spectrum of diseases ranging from self-limited diseases of short duration, to an airway obstruction potentially fatal.