title: Chronic cough in children.
abstract: Chronic cough has been variably defined as a cough lasting longer than 3, 4 or 8 weeks. Many post viral or pertussis like illnesses are associated with prolonged coughing that resolves over time. Management involves first trying to make a diagnosis and identify the presence of any underlying condition. Targeted treatments can then be employed. Trials of treatments are often used to make a diagnosis. Because natural resolution of cough is so common any trial of treatment to confirm a diagnosis should be time limited and the treatment only restarted if the coughing returns. Only a small proportion of children with an isolated non-specific dry cough have asthma and care is needed not to over diagnose asthma. Children with chronic wet cough may have protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) that responds to a full course of antibiotics. Children with PBB failing to respond to treatment or with specific pointers should be investigated for specific causes of suppurative lung disease.
authors.affiliation: Queen's University Belfast & Consultant in Paediatric Respiratory Medicine, Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children, Centre for Infection & Immunity, Queen's University Belfast, Health Sciences Building, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, Bt7 9BL, N Ireland, UK. m.shields@qub.ac.uk
authors.forename: Michael D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Shields
authors.forename: Gary M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Doherty
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001991:Bronchitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology; D019468:Disease Management; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents