asthmatic bronchitis

[mmadmoo]

My 9 y/o son has just been diagnosed with asthmatic bronchitis and was given an antibiotic and has been instucted to use a nebulizer. My wife and I are curious is this will actually help him. Also could you tell me if this condition is contagious, and what we could do to prevent any of his friends from contacting this condition or the remainder of the family.

[National Jewish]

It is not exactly clear what your son’s doctor means by asthmatic bronchitis.  For this response, I will assume he means an asthma attack caused by an infection.  Asthma is a chronic condition of the airways which is usually manifested by coughing, wheezing and, sometimes, breathing difficulty.  Asthma, itself, is not contagious at all.  In many, asthma is an inherited problem in families where it occurs alone.  Asthma can also occur along with are other allergic conditions, such as hay fever and skin problems.  If your son’s doctor thinks this episode was caused by an infection, the infection could be contagious.  If it is a virus, then it is still contagious since antibiotics do not get rid of viral infections.  If it is a bacterial infection, the antibiotic will be effective in keeping it from being caught by others after the antibiotic begins to work.  The nebulizer is to deliver medications that should help to control the asthma symptoms.