title: Respiratory disease in the Asia-Pacific region: Cough as a key symptom.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Respiratory diseases represent a significant impact on health care. A cross-sectional, multicountry (India, Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand) observational study was conducted to investigate the proportion of adult patients who received care for a primary diagnosis of asthma, allergic rhinitis (AR), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), or rhinosinusitis.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine the proportion of patients who received care for asthma, AR, COPD, and rhinosinusitis, and the frequency and main symptoms reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients ages ≥18 years, who presented to a physician with symptoms that met the diagnostic criteria for a primary diagnosis of asthma, AR, COPD, or rhinosinusitis were enrolled. Patients and physicians completed a survey that contained questions related to demographics and respiratory symptoms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 13,902 patients with a respiratory disorder were screened, of whom 7030 were eligible and 5250 enrolled. The highest percentage of patients who received care had a primary diagnosis of AR (14.0% [95% confidence interval {CI}, 13.4-14.6%]), followed by asthma (13.5% [95% CI, 12.9-14.1%]), rhinosinusitis (5.4% [95% CI, 4.6-5.3%]), and COPD (4.9% [95% CI, 5.0-5.7%]). Patients with a primary diagnosis of COPD (73%), followed by asthma (61%), rhinosinusitis (59%), and AR (47%) most frequently reported cough as a symptom. Cough was the main reason for seeking medical care among patients with a primary diagnosis of COPD (43%), asthma (33%), rhinosinusitis (13%), and AR (11%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Asthma, AR, COPD, and rhinosinusitis represent a significant proportion of respiratory disorders in patients who presented to health care professionals in the Asia-Pacific region, many with concomitant disease. Cough was a prominent symptom and the major reason for patients with respiratory diseases to seek medical care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang-Heon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Horng-Chyuan
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Aloke Gopal
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Ghoshal
authors.forename: Abdul Razak
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Bin Abdul Muttalif
authors.forename: Sanguansak
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thanaviratananich
authors.forename: Shalini
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bagga
authors.forename: Rab
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Faruqi
authors.forename: Shiva
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sajjan
authors.forename: Alan J M
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Brnabic
authors.forename: Francis C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Dehle
authors.forename: De Yun
authors.initials: de Y
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001208:Asia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000208:ethnology; D015897:Comorbidity; D003371:Cough / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D062486:Public Health Surveillance; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012307:Risk Factors; D057566:Self Report