Urgent Care Evaluation and Management of Acute Bronchitis (Infectious Disease CME)

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Delivery Method:	Online
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Publication Date: May 2026 (Volume 5, Number 5)

CME Credits: 4 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™, 4 ACEP Category I credits, 4 AAFP Prescribed credits, and 4 AOA Category 2-B CME credits. CME expires 05/01/2029.

Specialty CME Credits: Included as part of the 4 credits, this CME activity is eligible for 1 Infectious Disease CME credit, subject to your state and institutional approval.

Authors

Abstract

Acute bronchitis is common in the urgent care setting and is a clinical diagnosis. Patients typically present with acute onset of cough that has lasted for 1 to 3 weeks, and although symptoms resolve without intervention, it is important to consider and evaluate for “don’t-miss” diagnoses and disease processes that can mimic acute bronchitis. Treatment is largely supportive, and antibiotics should not be given for most patients with acute bronchitis. Patients should also receive education about their illness and should be provided with strict return precautions. By following evidence-based recommendations for the diagnosis and management of acute bronchitis, urgent care clinicians can avoid ordering unnecessary tests and medications.

Case Presentations

A 43-year-old man presents to urgent care with a complaint of nearly 2 weeks of cough…

• His cough is productive of clear yellow sputum. He has not experienced any chest pain, shortness of breath, fever, edema, or posttussive emesis.
• His past medical history is significant for type 2 diabetes mellitus, obesity, and hypercholesterolemia, and he is taking metformin and rosuvastatin.
• On examination, his lungs are clear to auscultation bilaterally, and the rest of his examination is unremarkable.
• His vital signs are: temperature, 36.9°C; heart rate, 88 beats/min; blood pressure, 134/85 mm Hg; respiratory rate, 16 breaths/min; and O2 saturation, 98% on room air.
• You consider what could be causing his cough…

A 58-year-old woman presents to urgent care with a complaint of 12 days of nonproductive cough, malaise, and some mild chest discomfort…

• Her physical examination is notable for bilateral scattered wheezes on lung auscultation. When asked to cough, her wheezing partially resolves.
• She has a past medical history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and generalized anxiety disorder. She is taking lisinopril, atorvastatin, and sertraline.
• Her vital signs are: temperature 37.2°C; heart rate, 92 beats/min; blood pressure, 141/88 mm Hg; respiratory rate, 14 breaths/min; and O2 saturation, 99% on room air.
• You consider whether this patient has an infection that requires antibiotics and question what your workup should include…

A 68-year-old woman presents to urgent care with worsening shortness of breath for the past day…

• She is now requiring 4L of oxygen to maintain saturation between 88% and 92%.
• She has a cough productive of sputum and has had fevers, with a maximum temperature at home of 100.9°F.
• She has a past medical history of COPD (on 2L of oxygen at home), hypothyroidism, hypertension, and hyperlipidemia. She is taking a combined daily fluticasone/umeclidinium/vilanterol inhaler, levothyroxine, amlodipine, and atorvastatin.
• Her physical examination is notable for bilateral wheezing on lung examination.
• Her vital signs are: temperature, 38.4°C; heart rate, 108 beats/min; blood pressure, 110/76 mm Hg; respiratory rate, 24 breaths/min; and O2 saturation, 90% on 4L nasal cannula.
• You consider what your next steps for this patient should be…

Accreditation:

EB Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians.