A. Anatomy and Physiology

The upper respiratory tract primarily refers to the parts of the respiratory system lying outside of the thorax or above the sternal angle. Another definition commomly used in medicine is the airway above the glottis or vocal cords. Some specify that the glottis (vocal cords) is the defining line between the upper and lower respiratory tracts; yet even others make the line at the cricoid cartilage..

Upper respiratory tract infections are amongst the most common infections in the world.

NOSE: Physically a nose is an organ on the face. Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for respiration in conjunction with the mouth. Behind the nose is the olfactory mucosa and the sinuses. Behind the nasal cavity, air next passes through the pharynx, shared with the digestive system, and then into the rest of the respiratory system. In humans, the nose is located centrally on the face; on most other mammals, it is on the upper tip of the snout.

NASAL CAVITY: A large fluid filled space above and behind the nose in the middle of the face.

PHARYNX: The part of the neck and throat situated immediately posterior to (behind) the mouth and nasal cavity, and cranial, or superior, to the esophagus, larynx, and trachea.NASOPHARYNX: The uppermost part of the pharynx. It extends from the base of the skull to the upper surface of the soft palate; it differs from the oral and laryngeal parts of the pharynx in that its cavity always remains patent (open).

OROPHARYNX: Reaches from the Uvula to the level of the hyoid bone. It opens anteriorly, through the isthmus faucium, into the mouth, while in its lateral wall, between the two palatine arches, is the palatine tonsil.

LARYNX: Commonly called the voice box, is an organ in the neck of mammals involved in protecting the trachea and sound production. It manipulates pitch and volume. The larynx houses the vocal folds, which are

an essential component of phonation. The vocal folds are situated just below where the tract of the pharynx splits into the trachea and the esophagus

B. Pathophysiology

Viral Bacterial Fungal MiscellaneousInfluenza Streptoccus Candida Toxoplasma (parasite)Para-influenza (Group A beta ChlamydiaHerpes simplex hemolytic)Measles DiphtheriaChickenpox GonococcusCytomegalo-virusRhinovirus

MILD INFECTIONS:Discomfort in throat

MalaiseLow grade fever

Congested pharynx but no lymphadenopathy

MODERATE TO SEVERE INFECTIONSPain in throat

DysphagiaHeadache

Tonsillopharyngitis is acute infection of the pharynx or palatine tonsils or both. Symptoms may include sore throat, dysphagia, cervical lymphadenopathy, and fever. Diagnosis

is clinical, supplemented by culture or swift antigen test. Treatment is dependent on symptoms and involves antibiotics. it is usually viral, most regularly caused by the adjectives cold viruses (adenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza , coronavirus, respiratory syncytial virus), but occasionally by Epstein-Barr virus , herpes simplex virus , cytomegalovirus , or HIV . In Some cases, the cause is bacterial. Group A β-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS) is most adjectives, but Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Mycoplasma pneumoniae, and Chlamydia pneumoniae are sometimes involved. Rare causes include pertussis , Fusobacterium, diphtheria , syphilis , and gonorrhea.