Korean J Med.
2010 Jun;78(6):674-681.
Useful approach to the diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough
- Affiliations
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- 1Division of Allergy, Asthma and Clinical Immunology, Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnnam National University Medical School, Gwangju, Korea.
Abstract
- It is necessary to recognize how to approach patients with chronic cough to diagnosis and treat the causes, because cough may resolve only after the management of the causative disease. There are many reports of successful management of cohorts of patients with chronic cough, by use of variants of anatomic, diagnostic approach to investigation. It should be recognized whether initial empiric treatment or specific treatment following diagnostic investigations is begun and when cough improves since the treatment for each disease. The resolution of cough in response to the empiric or specific treatment should be assessed to confirm the diagnosis of the diseases as a cause of cough. The treatment should be given in sequential and additive steps because more than one cause of cough may be present in some patients. However, in up to 20% of referrals to cough clinics, the cause of cough remains unclear even after extensive investigations and treatment trials, suggesting that aspects of the anatomic, diagnostic investigation protocol need to be modified. Hence, more research and better treatments for chronic cough are needed.
