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Objective measurement of frequency and pattern of nocturnal cough in children with asthma exacerbation
Kota Hirai1, Mayumi Enseki1, Hideyuki Tabata1
1Department of Pediatrics, Tokai University School of Medicine, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
Insights
Children with asthma experience significantly more nighttime coughs than healthy children. Objective cough monitoring can help manage childhood asthma by identifying specific cough patterns during sleep.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Sleep Medicine
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Persistent nocturnal cough is a common complaint in pediatric asthma patients.
- Objective investigation of sleep-related cough in asthmatic children has been lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To objectively classify cough severity in children with asthma.
- To evaluate characteristic nocturnal cough frequency patterns in pediatric asthma.
Main Methods:
- Utilized a specialized objective cough monitoring system for children.
- Measured nocturnal cough frequency and patterns using microphones and accelerometers.
- Compared cough data between asthmatic children and a control group without asthma.
Main Results:
- Children with asthma exhibited significantly higher overnight cough counts compared to non-asthmatic children.
- Increased cough frequency was observed during sleep onset and upon waking in asthmatic children.
- Severe asthma exacerbations correlated with higher total overnight cough counts.
Conclusions:
- Asthma in children is associated with substantial nocturnal cough counts and distinct sleep-related cough patterns.
- Objective cough monitoring provides valuable data for effective childhood asthma management.
Background:
Although a number of patients with asthma report experiencing persistent cough during sleep, it has not yet been objectively investigated.
Objective:
To classify cough severity and evaluate a characteristic pattern of cough frequency in children with asthma using an objective cough monitoring system.
Methods:
An objective cough monitoring system that specialized in children was used to measure cough frequency and nocturnal cough patterns. Coughs were recorded with microphone and accelerometer and analyzed using a customized software program. The number of nocturnal coughs and the pattern of cough frequency in 30-minute intervals were measured along with the severity of each asthma exacerbation, and the results were compared with children without asthma.
Results:
The total overnight cough count of 34 children with asthma was higher than that of 15 children without asthma (P < .001). The total overnight cough count in children with severe asthma exacerbation was higher than that in children with moderate asthma exacerbation (P < .05). The cough counts were significantly increased at the time of falling asleep and waking. This pattern was not observed in children without asthma. The total cough counts and cough patterns in children with asthma were not affected by sex, age, cause of asthma exacerbation, or therapy.
Conclusion:
Our data indicate huge cough counts and characteristic nocturnal cough patterns in children with asthma. Objective and precise cough monitoring is useful for the management of childhood asthma.
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