Cough resident survival guide (pediatrics)

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

Synonyms and keywords: Cough in childhood, Cough in children, An approach to cough in children

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

Overview

Cough is a sudden, often repetitive, spasmodic contraction of the thoracic cavity, resulting in a violent release of air from the lungs, and usually accompanied by a distinctive sound. A cough by itself is not a complete diagnosis but rather a symptom of an underlying condition, despite this, it accounts for one of the most common indications for visits to the general practitioners and family physicians with a good proportion of these cases resulting in a pulmonology referral.

Coughing is an action the body takes to get rid of substances that are irritating the air passages. The act of coughing can be triggered by a myriad of conditions physiologic and otherwise, A cough is mostly initiated to clear a buildup of phlegm within the trachea. Coughing can also be triggered by a bolus of food entering the trachea and other parts of the respiratory tree rather than the esophagus due to a failure of the epiglottis function.

Causes

Life Threatening Causes

Life-threatening causes include conditions that may result in death or permanent disability within 24 hours if left untreated.

• Pulmonary embolism
• Pneumonia
• Acute exacerbation of asthma

Common Causes

Acute cough (less than 3 weeks)

Subacute (3 to 8 weeks) or chronic cough (3 to 4 months)

Common cold Bronchitis or Bronchiolitis Asthma Pertussis Croup Influenza Foreign body Pneumonia Second-hand smoke Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)

Isolated cough: otherwise healthy child Recurrent viral bronchitis Postnasal dribbling Cough variant asthma Psychogenic cough Habit cough (tic like) Bizarre honking cough Gastroesophageal reflux Cystic fibrosis Retained foreign body Primary ciliary dyskinesia Immune deficiencies Chronic bronchitis Airway lesions Compression, e.g. tuberculous gland Malacia, often with viral infection, e.g. Tracheoesophageal fistula cough

Diagnosis

The approach to diagnosis of Cough in children is based on a step-wise testing strategy. Below is an algorithm summarising the identification and laboratory diagnosis of Cough.

Cough

Characterize the symptoms ❑ Chronic wet/productive cough ❑ Chest pain ❑ History suggestive of inhaled foreign body ❑ Dyspnea ❑ Exertional dyspnea ❑ Hemoptysis ❑ Failure to thrive ❑ Choking ❑ Vomiting ❑ Cardiac anomaly ❑ Neurodevelopmental abnormalities ❑ Recurrent sinopulmonary infections ❑ Immunodeficiency ❑ Epidemiologic risk factors for exposure to TB

Examine the patient ❑ Respiratory distress ❑ Digital clubbing ❑ Chest wall deformity ❑ Auscultatory crackles

Order Chest X-ray or spirometry (if child is able to perform)

Wet Cough or Productive Cough with sputum

Dry Cough

Consider the diagnosis of Bacterial bronchitis

Consider the diagnosis of Asthma ❑ History of bilateral wheeze and exertional dyspnea ❑ Absence of other cough symptoms ❑ Absence of findings on lung examination ❑ Reversible obstructive defect or normal finding on spirometry (if performed)

Consider the diagnosis of Retained foreign body ❑ History of choking or sudden onset of symptoms ❑ Monophonic or unilateral wheeze ❑ Chest X-ray finding suggesting foreign body

Consider the other type of cough ❑ Tracheomalacia ❑ Pertussis ❑ Habit cough/ tic cough (typically absent at night or when distracted and may be honking or short/dry)

Antibiotics for 2 to 4 weeks

Trial of Asthma therapies for 2 to 4 weeks

Perform rigid bronchoscopy for foreign body removal

Perform tests to confirm the diagnosis and treat as appropriate

Cough resolves ❑ Likely bacterial bronchitis ❑ Reassess in 3 to 4 months to confirm that child remains well

Productive cough continues after 4 weeks ❑ Consider the diagnosis of: Tuberculosis Primary ciliary dyskinesia Cystic fibrosis Bronchiectasis

Asthma Improved ❑ Continue treatment Asthma not improved ❑ Reassess for other causes of cough

No foreign body ❑ Reassess for other causes of cough

Treatment

Shown below is an algorithm summarizing the treatment of underlying conditions that cause cough.

Acute cough

Treat the underlying causes

Cough due to Bronchiolitis ❑ Supportive care such as hydration, saline nasal drops, nasal bulb suction ❑ Prevention includes Palivizumab for infants with the following conditions: Preterm birth less than 29 weeks gestation Chronic lung disease of prematurity Hemodynamically significant congenital heart disease

Cough due to Common Cold ❑ Supportivr care such as hydration, saline nasal drops ❑ Combination of over the counter medications such as antihistamines, decongestants, antitussives, expectorants, mucolytics, antipyretics/analgesics ❑ For fever, acetaminophen (for children older than three months) or ibuprofen (for children older than six months)

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Chronic cough

Treat the underlying causes

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Do's

• "For children aged less than 14-years with chronic cough (> 4 weeks duration) without an underlying lung disease but who have symptoms and signs or tests consistent with gastroesophageal pathological reflux, they should be treated for GERD in accordance to evidence-based GERD specific guidelines (Grade 1B)."
• "Children with chronic cough and typical symptoms of GERD should undergo medical treatment—dietary, lifestyle modifications and acid suppression therapy. A three-stage therapeutic trial should be completed before diagnosing reflux-related cough:
  

(1) clear-cut response to a 4 to 8-week treatment with PPI

(2) relapse on stopping medication

(3) new response to recommencing medication, with weaning down therapy as appropriate to the child’s symptoms."

Don'ts

• According to Chang et al., "for children aged less than 14-years with chronic cough (> 4 weeks duration) without an underlying lung disease, treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) should not be used when there are no clinical features of gastroesophageal reflux such as recurrent regurgitation, dystonic neck posturing in infants, or heartburn/epigastric pain in older children (Grade1B)."
• For children aged less than 14-years with chronic cough (> 4 weeks duration) without an underlying lung disease but who have symptoms and signs or tests consistent with gastroesophageal pathological reflux, acid suppressive therapy should not be used solely for their chronic cough (Grade 1C).
• According to CHEST guidelines 2017, "For children aged less than 14-years with chronic cough, basing the management on the etiology of the cough is recommended. An empirical approach aimed at treating upper airway cough syndrome due to a rhinosinus condition, GERD and/or asthma should not be used unless other features consistent with these conditions are present."
• “In otherwise well children with nonspecific cough, empirical gastroesophageal reflux therapy is unlikely to be beneficial and is generally not recommended.”

References

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