ACUTE BACTERIAL TRACHEITIS

[Lacrossemom]

I have just gotten out of the hospital for acute bacterial tracheitis.  I now realize that I never had any blood work done and never was cultured.  I know that when you are in the throes of severe respiratory distress they don't like to fool around, but since I am now off antibiotics and steroids, I feel like my symptoms of throat tightness are coming back.  I can tell by the funny little taste that you get when you cough that I am getting sick again.  I NEVER want to go through that again.  It was the most petrified I have ever been.  I did not require intubation, but had racemic epi not worked, that was the plan.  I want to go back and get on another antibiotic.  I think whatever I had is coming back and therefore needs different coverage.

[National Jewish]

The best advice we can give you is to be seen by a reputable ENT doctor as soon as possible.  You will probably require direct examination of your upper airways, including the larynx.

[bactitech]

With all due respect to your illness, how did they determine that you had bacterial tracheitis without doing a culture? I'm sure that somewhere, somehow, a specimen was sent to your hospital's microbiology laboratory (I have worked in one for over 30 years).

Maintaining an open airway is THE most important thing that must be done before anything else is attempted. Taking antibiotics willy nilly without a need for them is setting yourself up for disaster, especially not knowing what you grew culture-wise or what you're growing now (if anything pathogenic). Taking too many antibiotics has put the world where it is now - dealing with super resistant bacteria that are easily spready via the respiratory route. These bacteria are rampant in our hospital ICU units and nursing homes. I see them every day. You don't want to have them, believe me.

If you are indeed uncomfortable and are having symptoms, by all means call your doctor ASAP. You probably need to be looked at and reassessed. If you have not seen a specialist, either ENT, pulmonary, and/or infectious disease doc, and this is a recurring illness, this needs to be addressed also. Just throwing antibiotics at vague symptoms is NOT the answer, and can set you up for resistant bacteria in the future.

[Lacrossemom]

Could you please tell me if i am overreacting?