Cough resident survival guide

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sara Haddadi, M.D.[2]

Cough Resident Survival Guide
Overview
Causes
FIRE
Diagnosis
Treatment
Do's
Don'ts

Overview

Causes

Common Causes

• Allergic Rhinitis
• Asthma
• Bronchiectasis
• Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
• Post-nasal drip
• Medications' side effect
  • ACE inhibitors
• Bronchitis
• Laryngopharyngeal reflux
• Respiratory tract infection
• Lung cancer
• Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis

Diagnosis

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the evaluation of acute cough according to the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines.

Acute Cough

History and physical examination, ask about environmental and occupational factors and travel exposures ± investigations

Life-threatening diagnosis

Non-life-threatening diagnosis

Pneumonia, severe exacerbation of asthma or COPD, PE, heart failure, other serious disease

Infections

Exacerbation of pre-existing condition

LRTI

URTI

Asthma

Bronchiectasis

UACS

COPD

Evaluate and treat first

Acute Bronchitis

Pertussis

Consider TB in endemic areas or high risk

• Shown below is an alogrithm describing the evaluation of subacute cough in adults according to the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines.

Subacute Cough

{{{ History and Physical Exam Ask about red flags, environmental and occupational factors, travel exposures }}}

Postinfectious or life-threatening diagnosis

New onset or exacerbation of pre-existing condition

Not postinfectious*

Pneumonia, severe exacerbation of asthma or COPD, PE, heart failure, other serious disease

Pertusis

COPD

UACS

Asthma

Bronchitis

GERD

Bronchiectasis

{{{ }}}

Postinfectious

TB

NAEB

AECB/COPD

• Not postinfectious: Work up same as chronic cough

• Shown below is an alogrithm describing the evaluation of chronic cough in adults according to the American College of Chest Physicians guidelines.

Chronic Cough

A02

B01

B02

B03

C01

C02

A01

B01

D01

D02

D03

D04

D05

Treatment

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the treatment of [[disease name]] according the the [...] guidelines.

Do's

• The content in this section is in bullet points.

Don'ts

• The content in this section is in bullet points.

References