Cough resident survival guide (pediatrics)

Cough resident survival guide (pediatrics) Microchapters
Overview
Causes
FIRE
Diagnosis
Treatment
Do's
Don'ts

Overview

Cough in kids is one of the most common presenting complaint to pediatricians. importantly cough is not disease by itself but rather a manifestation of underlying pathology.

A cough is protective action and can be initiated both voluntary and via stimulation of cough respiratory located throughout the respiratory tract (ear – sinus – upper and lower airway )

Classification

Cough is usually classified based on

1.Duration:

- acute< 2 weeks

- Subacute 2 – 4 weeks

- Chronic > 4 weeks

2.Etiology:

- Specific

-  Not specific

3. Quality:

- Dry cough

 - Wet (moist) cough

4. Timing:

- Nocturnal cough

- Seasonal/ geographical variation

Causes

Life Threatening causes

• Congestive heart failure
• Pneumonia
• Acute inhalation injury
• Acute exacerbation of asthma/COPD

Common Causes

Noninfectious causes

1. Asthma
2. Gastroesophageal reflux disease
3. Forgein-body aspiration
4. Upper-airway cough syndrome
5. Extrinsic airway compression
6. Smoking (active or passive)
7. Cystic fibrosis
8. Interstitial lung disease
9. Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis

10. Congenital defects (.g., esophageal atresia with/without tracheoesophageal fistula, vascular rings)

Infectious causes

1. Chronic sinusitis with upper-airway cough syndrome
2. Pyogenic bacterial pneumonia
3. Prolonged bacterial bronchitis
4. Tuberculosis
5. Mycoplasma pnumoniae infection
6. Chlamydophila pneumoniae infection
7. Pertussis
8. Respiratory viral infections (influenza, adenovirus, rhinovirus, respiratory syncytial virus, parainfluenza virus

FIRE: Focused Initial Rapid Evaluation

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