An association between acute bronchitis and asthma.

The relationship between the common acute bronchitis syndrome and atopic disease was examined using a retrospective, case-control method. The charts of 116 acute bronchitis patients and of a control group of 60 patients with irritable colon syndrome were reviewed for evidence of previous and subsequent atopic disease or asthma. Bronchitis patients were more likely to have a previous history of asthma, a personal history or diagnosis of atopic disease, and more previous and subsequent visits for acute bronchitis. The main finding of the study was a tenfold increase in the subsequent visit rate for asthma in the acute bronchitis group. Thirty percent of patients with acute bronchitis made return visits for unresolved cough despite an 83 percent rate of antibiotic use. These findings challenge the common belief that the symptoms of acute bronchitis are solely infectious in origin and suggest the involvement of occult bronchospasm.