" Acute Bronchitis Acute Bronchitis is a very common diagnosis especially at the height of cough and cold season. It consists of an abrupt onset of lower respiratory tract infection and is distinguished from a cold because of a few unique characteristics. It is a lower respiratory tract infection as opposed to a ?head cold.? It produces a cough that persists rather than dissipates throughout the course of the illness. Annually, 5 % of the general population ...