Cough
August 13th, 2017
Overview
How to Assess
- Ask the patient to cough. Assess the character of the cough and whether it is productive of sputum.
Interpretation
- Barking coughLaryngeal disease - croup
- Brassy cough - loud, metallic barking soundsMajor airway inflammation
- Paroxysms of 'whoops'Whooping cough
- 'Bovine' cough - weak, non-explosive coughVocal cord paralysis
- Post-prandial coughReflux, aspiration
Causes of Cough
Acute
- Infection - URTI, pneumonia, tuberculosis, whooping cough
- Exacerbations - asthma, COPD, bronchiectasis
- Foreign body aspiration
- Pulmonary oedema
- Pulmonary embolus
- Reflux
Subacute
- Postnasal drip
- Postinfectious cough
- Reflux
Chronic
- Obstructive disease - asthma, COPD
- Reflux
- Irritants - tobacco smoke, environmental pollutants
- Medications - ACE inhibitors
- Mechanical - tracheobronchomalacia, airway strictures
- Interstitial disease - pulmonary fibrosis, pneumoconioses, sarcoidosis
- Neoplasm - bronchial or parenchymal
- Psychogenic - habit cough, tic cough
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