Yardstick for managing cough, part 2: In children.

Nationwide statistics in the United States and Australia reveal that cough of undifferentiated duration is the most common complaint for which patients of all ages seek medical care in the ambulatory setting. Management of chronic cough is one of the most common reasons for new patient visits to respiratory specialists. Because symptomatic cough is such a common problem and so much has been learned about how to diagnose and treat cough of all durations but especially chronic cough, this 2-part yardstick has been written to review in a practical way the evidence-based guidelines most of which have been developed from high-quality systematic reviews on how best to manage cough of all durations in adults, adolescents, and children. Chronic cough in children is often benign and self-limiting. Using established and validated protocols and specific pointers (clues in history, findings on examination) can aid the clinician in identifying causes when present and improve outcomes. In this manuscript, part 2 of the 2-part series, we provide evidence-based, expert opinion recommendations on the management of chronic cough in the pediatric patient (<14 years of age).

Yardstick for managing cough, part 1: In adults and adolescent patients older than 14 years of age.

Nationwide statistics in the United States and Australia reveal that cough of undifferentiated duration is the most common complaint for which patients of all ages seek medical care in the ambulatory setting. Management of chronic cough is one of the most common reasons for new patient visits to pulmonologists. Because symptomatic cough is such a common problem and so much has been learned about how to diagnose and treat cough of all durations but especially chronic cough, this 2-part yardstick has been written to review in a practical way the latest evidence-based guidelines most of which have been developed from recent high quality systematic reviews on how best to manage cough of all durations in adults, adolescents, and children. In this manuscript, part 1 of the 2-part series, we provide evidence-based, and expert opinion recommendations on the management of chronic cough in adult and adolescent patients (>14 years of age).