title: Cough: a worldwide problem.
abstract: Cough is a common and important respiratory symptom that can produce significant complications for patients and be a diagnostic challenge for physicians. An organized approach to evaluating cough begins with classifying it as acute, subacute, or chronic in duration. Acute cough lasting less than 3 weeks may indicate an acute underlying cardiorespiratory disorder but is most commonly caused by a self-limited viral upper respiratory tract infection (eg, common cold). Subacute cough lasting 3 to 8 weeks commonly has a postinfectious origin; among the causes, Bordetella pertussis infection should be included in the differential diagnosis. Chronic cough lasts longer than 8 weeks. When a patient is a nonsmoker, is not taking an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, and has a normal or near-normal chest radiograph, chronic cough is most commonly caused by upper airway cough syndrome, asthma, nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis, or gastroesophageal reflux disease alone or in combination.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655, USA. Mark.madison@umassmed.edu
authors.forename: J Mark
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Madison
authors.forename: Richard S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Irwin
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003139:Common Cold / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005764:Gastroesophageal Reflux / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D013997:Time Factors