Related Experiment Videos
Chronic persistent cough and gastro-oesophageal reflux
A J Ing1, M C Ngu, A B Breslin
1Department of Thoracic Medicine, Concord Hospital, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Thorax
|July 1, 1991
Summary
Unexplained chronic cough, persisting for months, is often linked to silent gastro-oesophageal reflux. This study found patients with persistent cough experienced significantly more acid reflux episodes than controls.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Pulmonology
- Clinical Medicine
Background:
- Chronic cough is a common clinical issue, often unexplained after thorough investigation.
- Gastro-oesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is a known cause of cough, but often presents with typical reflux symptoms.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between unexplained chronic persistent cough and asymptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux.
- To explore a potential self-perpetuating mechanism involving reflux and cough.
Main Methods:
- Studied 13 non-smoking patients with chronic cough unexplained by standard assessment.
- Utilized standardized cough diary cards and 24-hour ambulatory oesophageal pH monitoring.
- Compared reflux data with 9 age, lung function, and BMI-matched control subjects.
Main Results:
- Patients had significantly more reflux episodes (115.8 vs 4.7 per 24h) and longer reflux durations than controls.
- Oesophageal pH < 4.0 was significantly longer in patients (84.5 vs 3.8 minutes).
- Cough occurred in conjunction with 78% of reflux episodes in patients.
Conclusions:
- Chronic persistent cough, unexplained by standard workup, is associated with asymptomatic gastro-oesophageal reflux.
- A potential neuronal reflex mechanism between oesophageal reflux and cough is suggested.
- Further research into this mechanism and anti-reflux treatments for chronic cough is warranted.