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Duration of cough in acute upper respiratory tract infections
Barbara F Jones1, Moira A Stewart
1School of Medicine, James Cook University, Queensland. barbara.jones@jcu.edu.au
Objective:
To determine the duration of cough in patients without pre-existing respiratory problems presenting to general practitioners with acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs).
Method:
Patients without chronic chest problems who presented to two general practices with an URTI during the winter of 1999 were surveyed to assess the duration of cough.
Results:
One hundred and seventy-nine patients were recruited, of whom 131 could be followed until their cough ceased. Of these, 93% developed a cough, 78% coughed for at least one week, 58% for at least two weeks, 35% for three weeks, and one continued into the tenth week.
Conclusion:
The acute cough associated with an URTI often continues for several weeks. There may be benefits from educating the community and medical profession about this natural history.