While there are no safety issues identified, the findings are based on evidence limited by a small number of studies. Respiratory tract infections
Infections can affect any part of the respiratory system. They are traditionally divided into upper respiratory tract infections and lower respiratory tract infections. Upper respiratory tract infection
The upper airway is defined as all the structures connecting the glottis to the mouth and nose. The most common upper respiratory tract infection is the common cold. However, infections of specific organs of the upper respiratory tract such as sinusitis, tonsillitis, otitis media, pharyngitis and laryngitis are also considered upper respiratory tract infections. Epiglottitis is a bacterial infection of the larynx which causes life-threatening swelling of the epiglottis with a mortality rate of 7% in adults and 1% in children. Haemophilus influenzae is still the primary cause even with vaccinations. Symptoms include drooling, stridor, difficulty breathing and swallowing, and a hoarse voice.Croup (Laryngotracheobronchitis) is a viral infection of the vocal cords typically lasting five to six days. The main symptom is a barking cough and low-grade fever. On an X-ray, croup can be recognized by the "steeple sign", which is a narrowing of the trachea. It most commonly occurs in winter months in children between the ages of 3 months and 5 years. A severe form caused by bacteria is called bacterial tracheitis.Tonsillitis is swelling of the tonsils by a bacterial or viral infection. This inflammation can lead to airway obstruction.
This can lead to strain on the right side of the heart, a condition known as cor pulmonale. Pulmonary edema, leakage of fluid from capillaries of the lung into the alveoli (or air spaces). It is usually due to congestive heart failure. Pulmonary hemorrhage, inflammation and damage to capillaries in the lung resulting in blood leaking into the alveoli. This may cause blood to be coughed up. Pulmonary hemorrhage can be due to auto-immune disorders such as granulomatosis with polyangiitis and Goodpastures syndrome. Neonatal diseases
Pulmonary diseases also impact newborns and the disorders are often unique from those that affect adults. Infant respiratory distress syndrome most commonly occurs in less than six hours after birth in about 1% of all births in the United States. The main risk factor is prematurity with the likelihood of it occurring going up to 71% in infants under 750g. Other risk factors include infant of a diabetic mother (IDM), method of delivery, fetal asphyxia, genetics, prolonged rupture of membranes (PROM), maternal toxemia, chorioamnionitis, and male sex. The widely accepted pathophysiology of respiratory distress syndrome is it caused by insufficient surfactant production and immature lung and vascular development. The lack of surfactant makes the lungs atelectatic causing a ventilation to perfusion mismatch, lowered compliance, and increased air resistance. This causes hypoxia and respiratory acidosis which can lead to pulmonary hypertension. It has a ground glass appearance on an x-ray.