Respiratory infections in smokers
Brown, R.; Pinkerton, R.; Tuttle, M.
American Family Physician 36(5): 133-140
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0002-838X PMID: 3318354 Document Number: 298101
Cigarette smoking alters lung anatomy and physiology and impairs host immunity long before the appearance of overt chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. These changes promote more frequent and more severe lower respiratory tract infections. Optimal management of patients who continue to smoke includes accurate and early diagnosis of respiratory tract infections and selective use of appropriate antibiotics. Specific interventions can help patients stop smoking.