How is acute bronchitis diagnosed?

A healthcare professional makes the diagnosis of acute bronchitis based on a history and physical exam, which may include listening to the lungs with a stethoscope and measuring oxygen levels with a sensor placed on a finger. During this assessment, other possible conditions (e.g., pneumonia or COPD) should be ruled out. Chest x-rays and microbiological testing are not necessary to make the diagnosis of acute bronchitis, although they may be used if abnormal vital signs are present (such as increased heart rate, breathing, and fever), if there are signs of fluid in the lungs, and in at-risk populations (e.g., the elderly and immunocompromised.^[1]