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Acute bronchitis, like most of the other respiratory infections, may be due to either viruses or bacteria. It usually involves the trachea or windpipe first and then moves down to involve larger and then smaller bronchi. It may follow such illnesses as measles, influenza, whooping cough or typhoid fever.

There is a moderate fever with a cough, initially dry and then productive of sputum and sometimes, a wheeze. The condition can worsen and lead to bronchopneumonia.

Chronic bronchitis is not an infective disease. It is a condition where there is a marked and chronic increase in the amount of secretion by the bronchial tubes. Sputum is coughed up continuously. The illness is caused mainly by smoking and atmospheric pollution.

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Coronary artery disease has reached epidemic proportions in most of the highly developed countries. The risk factors are well known, but we have not accepted them nor taken steps to reduce their influence.

Once this disease is established, the treatment is mainly medical. Over the past 15 years, a surgical technique to improve the outlook has been developed. This is coronary bypass surgery.

In the past, operations to transplant arteries from the chest wall into the heart were tried and then abandoned as of no value.

This new operation has proved to be worthwhile and around 1400 are being done in Australia each year.

There are three main coronary arteries and any, or all, may be involved in the atheromatous changes and narrowed.

What is done is that a vein, usually the long saphenous vein from the leg, is taken and implanted into the aorta. The other end is joined to the coronary artery below the narrowed portion.

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