Upper Respiratory Tract Infection

Key takeaways

• Congestion, sore throat, hoarseness and cough commonly overlap, and mucus colour alone does not establish bacterial infection.
• Duration, focal pain, breathing or swallowing difficulty and deterioration after initial improvement guide reassessment.
• Antibiotics do not shorten a viral cold and should be reserved for a defined bacterial diagnosis where benefit is expected.

Catalogue matches do not diagnose bacterial URTI or indicate a suitable antibiotic and course.

What supports recovery?

Rest, fluids appropriate to health status, saline nasal care and age-appropriate pain relief may help symptoms. Decongestants and multi-ingredient cold products have contraindications and can duplicate medicines.

When are antibiotics considered?

Streptococcal pharyngitis and selected bacterial sinusitis require diagnosis-specific criteria. Cefpodoxime is not a routine choice for a general URTI; allergy, resistance and local guidance matter. See antibiotics.

When to seek urgent care

Seek urgent care for severe breathing difficulty, inability to swallow saliva, drooling, neck swelling or stiffness, eye swelling, confusion, dehydration or rapid deterioration.