What are the acute and chronic cough

Cough is the most common symptoms forwhich patients seek medical advice to doctors, both primary and secondary level health care. Acute cough that is often noted in the upper respiratory tract infection, may from the beginning to take its toll, however, usually occurs samovyzdorovlenie and rarely requires significant medicalth interference. Chronic cough is the main symptom of many serious chronic respiratory diseases, although it may also be the only symptom of a number of extrapulmonary diseases, particularly upper respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract. Even if the diagnosis is known, it may be difficult to cough treatable and resultdeterioration of quality of life of patients. Sessions devoted to cough syndrome at meetings of respiratory diseases, are very popular, which indicates that the pathophysiology, evaluation, and successful are topics of great interest to many practitioners.

Acute cough

KeyInformation:

• Acute cough is defined as cough lasting less than 3 weeks;
• Acute cough - a common cause of treatment to the patient's primary care physician, and, as a rule, evidence of upper respiratory tract infection;
• KasSpruce is usually benign and stops without treatment;
• It is the most common symptom associated with the exacerbations and hospitalizations of patients with asthma and COPD;
• It is estimated the cost of treating acute cough for the UK economy is at least 979 million. pounds. This figure includes compensation for disability in the amount of 875 million. Pounds and 104 million. Pounds from the health sector, as well as the purchase of non-prescription medicines.

References:

• Indicationsfurther examination include coughing up blood, a serious systemic disease Inhalation of foreign objects, suspected lung cancer;
• The patients talk about alleviating the after use of OTC drugs, although there is little evidence that these drugs have a placeFlax pharmacological effect.

Chronic cough

The key information:

• Chronic cough is defined as cough lasting more than 8 weeks;
• It is estimated that happens in 10-20% of the adult population, mostly amongwomen and people with a high body mass;
• Cough is the reason for referral to secondary health care institutions for the treatment of respiratory infections in 10% of cases;
• Most of the patients are dry or minimally productive cough;
• Reducing the quality of life of the patient with chronic cough can be compared with the state in severe COPD;
• A significant sputum production, usually indicates a primary lung;
• In cases of chronic cough is increasing primary cough reflex.

Clinical evaluation of chronic cough

References:

• For all patients with a compelling cost detailed medical history, including a detailed, professional history of the patient;
• The physical examination should focus on systems, hittingof which can often manifest cough;
• Review of patients with chronic cough should include an assessment of health status and severity of coughing. Visual analog scale assessment of the severity of the cough is an alternative to the questionnaire on the quality of life of the patient with a cough, but less reliable (quality criterion diag-diagnosis);
• Chest radiography and spirometry are mandatory (the criterion of quality of diagnostics);
• Bronchial provocation trial should be conducted in patients with chronic cough, the etiology of which clearly follows from the clinical signs and normal Dresults of spirometry;
• Bronchoscopy should be performed in all patients with chronic cough and suspected foreign body aspiration;
• high resolution computed tomography can be used in patients with chronic cough who undergo other targeted healthresearch;
• Optimal management of the disease should consist of a combination of diagnostic examination and treatment of the test.