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Published on: June 30, 2020
Etiologies associated with chronic cough and its clinical characteristics in school-age children
Xingmei Yu1, Lingjun Kong2, Wujun Jiang1
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215003, China.
Insights
Upper airway cough syndrome (UACS), cough-variant asthma (CVA), and protracted bronchitis (PB) are the most frequent causes of chronic cough in children. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) are less common.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Respiratory Medicine
- Clinical Diagnostics
Background:
- Chronic cough is a common complaint in school-aged children.
- Identifying the underlying causes of chronic cough is crucial for effective management.
- Previous studies have not comprehensively evaluated the etiology of chronic cough in this demographic in Suzhou, China.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of different etiologies of chronic cough in school-aged children.
- To assess the diagnostic value of clinical features in identifying the causes of chronic cough.
- To provide etiological data for chronic cough management in pediatric populations.
Main Methods:
- Prospective evaluation of school-aged children (6-14 years) with chronic cough (>4 weeks).
- Utilized a standardized diagnostic algorithm for etiological assessment.
- Investigated clinical features associated with various chronic cough causes.
Main Results:
- 118 children were enrolled; Upper Airway Cough Syndrome (UACS) was most common (65.3%), followed by cough-variant asthma (CVA) (48.3%), and protracted bronchitis (PB) (12.7%).
- Multiple etiologies were identified in 43% of patients, with CVA + UACS being the most frequent combination (31.4%).
- Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) were found in fewer cases (5.9% and 1.7%, respectively).
Conclusions:
- UACS, CVA, and PB are the primary causes of chronic cough in school-aged children in Suzhou.
- EB and GERD are relatively rare etiologies in this population.
- Understanding these common causes aids in targeted diagnosis and treatment strategies for pediatric chronic cough.
Background:
To comprehensively evaluate the etiology of chronic cough and the value of clinical feature in school age children in Suzhou, China.
Methods:
School-age (6-14 years) children newly referred with chronic cough (>4 weeks) were prospectively evaluated by utilizing a diagnostic algorithm in this study. Clinical features of different etiologies of chronic cough were also investigated.
Results:
In total, 118 patients were enrolled in the study. The cough duration ranged from 1 to 76 months. Upper airway cough syndrome (UACS) was found in 77 (65.3%) patients with chronic cough, cough-variant asthma (CVA) in 57 (48.3%) patients, protracted bronchitis (PB) in 15 (12.7%) patients, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) in 7 (5.9%) patients, tic disorders (TD) in 3 (2.5%) patients and eosinophilic bronchitis (EB) in 2 (1.7%) patients. A single etiology was present in 75 patients and multiple etiologies were present in 43 patients. The three most common single etiologies were UACS (31.4%), CVA (14.4%), and PB (10.2%), followed by GERD (5.9%), and EB (1.7%). The most common multiple etiology was CVA + UACS (31.4%), followed by CVA + PB (2.5%), and TD + UACS (2.5%).
Conclusions:
The common etiologies of chronic cough in school-age children were UACS, CVA, and PB, while EB and GERD were rare.
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