Treating Bronchitis: Getting the Right Care
2023-24 Edition
Why is it important to not use antibiotics when you have bronchitis?
Acute bronchitis is also known as a chest cold and it is usually caused by a virus. Antibiotics do not work with viral infections. Bronchitis occurs when the tubes carrying air into the lungs become inflamed and produce mucus that can cause a cough. The cough and other signs of bronchitis last about two weeks. Antibiotics will only work or help if your infection is caused by bacteria.
Using antibiotics when they are not needed can make some bacteria become more resistant. Infections caused by resistant bacteria are harder to treat and cure.
How should doctors treat bronchitis?
Your doctor may suggest over-the-counter medicines like cough drops, drinking plenty of fluids, and other self-care methods to help you feel better. A chest cold will last about two weeks and usually doesn’t need antibiotics.
Talk with your doctor and health plan to find out about what other services are available. Many health plans offer additional support and resources for patients with bronchitis. These additional services may be educational materials (online and in print), classes or support groups, or phone counseling.
What do the stars mean?
The scores show how well each health plan did at making sure people ages 18 to 64 years old with acute bronchitis were not given an antibiotic, since these medicines don’t work for viral infections. A higher score means more patients got the right care at the right time.
The scores are based on information from at least 30 health plan member administrative records in 2022.
Data Disclaimer
The data source for data for the Report Cards is Quality Compass® 2023 and is used with the permission of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Quality Compass® 2023 includes Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) and Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (CAHPS®) data. Any data display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion based on these data is solely that of the authors. NCQA specifically disclaims responsibility for any such display, analysis, interpretation, or conclusion. Quality Compass and HEDIS are registered trademarks of NCQA. CAHPS® is a registered trademark of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).
Users of the data shall not have the right to alter, enhance, or otherwise modify the data. Anyone who wants to use or reproduce the data without modification for a noncommercial purpose may do so without obtaining any approval from NCQA. All commercial uses must be approved by NCQA and are subject to a license at the discretion of NCQA. Use by healthcare providers in connection with their own practices is not commercial use. A "commercial use" refers to any sale, license, or distribution of the data for commercial gain, or incorporation of the data into any product or service that is sold, licensed, or distributed for commercial gain, even if there is no actual charge for inclusion of the data. ©2004-2023 National Committee for Quality Assurance, all rights reserved.