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Chronic or recurrent cough in children--a presentation of asthma?
Insights
Children with persistent coughs may have undiagnosed asthma. A one-month trial of bronchodilator syrup improved symptoms in all participants, suggesting early diagnosis and treatment for pediatric asthma.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Allergy and Immunology
Background:
- Chronic or recurrent cough is a common pediatric complaint.
- Asthma is a frequent cause of persistent cough in children, often presenting without wheezing.
- Unrecognized asthma can lead to overuse of antibiotics and cough suppressants.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of bronchodilator syrup in children with chronic or recurrent cough.
- To assess the potential for early diagnosis of asthma in pediatric patients presenting with cough.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 35 children (aged 1-11 years) with chronic/recurrent cough received bronchodilator syrup.
- Treatment duration was one month.
- Symptomatic improvement was monitored.
Main Results:
- All 35 children experienced symptomatic improvement with bronchodilator syrup.
- The study suggests a positive response to bronchodilators in children with persistent cough.
Conclusions:
- Bronchodilator syrup trial is recommended for children with persistent or recurrent cough, even without wheezing.
- Early diagnosis of unrecognized asthma can be facilitated.
- This approach may reduce unnecessary antibiotic and cough linctus prescriptions.
Abstract:
Thirty-five children between the ages of one year and 11 years who presented with chronic or recurring cough over a two-year period were treated for asthma. They were given bronchodilator syrup for a trial period of one month. All the children improved symptomatically.It is suggested that any child with a persistent cough or recurring cough should be given bronchodilator syrup even in the absence of wheeze and particularly when there is a family history of asthma. This might result in the early diagnosis of unrecognized asthma and help to reduce the amount of unnecessary antibiotics and cough linctus that these children receive.