Every day worried parents bring their children to clinicians for evaluation of coughs, runny noses, and sore throats. Most of these children have a simple cold and only require reassurance. However, clinicians must remain vigilant to not overlook a more severe possibility, such as secondary bacterial infection, an asthma exacerbation, or perhaps a foreign body. After ruling out a more severe issue, the most likely possibility is an everyday viral infection. These upper respiratory tract infections (URIs) and pharyngeal infections have many causes, but their presentations tend to follow similar patterns, which allow clinicians to reassure and advise worried parents.
On average, children are infected with two to eight URIs annually in the first 2 years after birth; those who attend day care may have as many as 14 annually. Even older children and adults may experience three to six URIs a year. In the United States, infants in the...
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