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Query: UMLS:C0010200 (cough)
 23,843 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Cough and chest wall pain at high altitude have only received passing mention in the medical literature. Increased minute ventilation of cold dry air at very high altitude is likely to cause airway irritation. This in turn may result in airway drying, mucus production, postnasal drip from vasomotor rhinitis, and bronchospasm acting individually or in combination to stimulate the vagal cough reflex. The cough is exacerbated further at extreme altitudes above 5500 m, and may result in intercostal muscle strain and single or multiple rib fractures. We present a case of multiple cough induced stress fractures and arthropathy documented by technetium-99 bone scan in a high altitude climber and suggest the addition of the term High Altitude Cough Syndrome (HACS) to the medical syntax to identify this discrete medical problem of exposure to very high altitude.
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PMID:Cough induced stress fracture and arthropathy of the ribs at extreme altitude. 963 30

Sinusitis is both prevalent and costly, affecting more than 14% of the population and costing more than $3.5 billion. The signs and symptoms of sinusitis can be subtle: a night cough, chronic nasal congestion, postnasal drip, or recurring headaches. Diagnosis requires a comprehensive understanding of nasal physiology, anatomy, and allergic and immunologic abnormalities, and sinonasal microbiology. The most common events leading to sinusitis are colds, allergic and nonallergic rhinitis, and anatomic defects which interfere with the sinus outflow tracks. Treatment involves drainage of the congested sinuses and elimination of the pathogenic bacteria. Drainage can be accomplished medically by opening the sinus ostia through the use of decongestants and topical corticosteroids; bacteria are effectively eliminated by washing the sinuses with saline and through use of appropriate antibiotics. In patients with recurrent disease, it may be appropriate to continue nasal washing and topical corticosteroids for extended periods of time, or even permanently. With proper medical treatments, most patients do extremely well and do not require surgery. Surgery is aimed at facilitating sinus drainage by widening the outflow tracks and removing anatomic obstructions to adequate drainage. Although we now understand some of the dynamics of sinusitis, more research is needed to clarify our unanswered questions.
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PMID:Medical management of sinusitis. 967 Oct 40

Chronic persistent cough (CPC) is a common symptom generally caused by postnasal drip syndrome (PND), bronchial asthma (A), chronic bronchitis (CB), and gastro-oesophageal reflux (GOR). The purpose of this study was to confirm the value of a testing protocol for determining the causes of CPC in adult patients and for evaluating the outcome of its specific therapy. Ninety-two patients with unexplained CPC were sent to our Department between January 1994 and June 1996. The mean (+/- SE) duration of cough was 32.7 (+/- 4.5) months. We studied these patients (number) by applying an anatomical protocol, according to which clinical evaluation they underwent: chest (92) and sinus (90) radiography, spirometry (92), methacholine inhalation challenge (88), skin prick tests (67), oesophagoscopy (28), prolonged oesophageal pH monitoring (14), and bronchoscopy (49), as needed. The results of the standardized specific therapy refer to 87 patients because 5 patients were lost to follow-up. Thus, CPC was due to: sinusitis or chronic rhinitis plus PND in 56% of patients, CB in 18%, A in 14%, GOR in 5%, PND and GOR in 6%, A and GOR in 1%. The cough went away in 79/87 patients after specific treatment, based on the diagnostic findings, giving a success rate of 91%. The results of the present study confirm previous findings indicating that one or more causes of chronic persistent cough can be found, and that an elevated success rate of therapy was reached when an anatomic diagnostic protocol was used.
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PMID:Causes of chronic persistent cough in adult patients: the results of a systematic management protocol. 986 9

Chronic cough is a common problem in patients who visit family physicians. The three most common causes of chronic cough in those who are referred to pulmonary specialists are postnasal drip, asthma and gastroesophageal reflux. The initial treatment of patients with cough is often empiric and may involve a trial of decongestants, bronchodilators or histamine H2 antagonists, as monotherapy or in combination. If a therapeutic trial is not successful, sequential diagnostic testing including chest radiograph, purified protein derivative test for tuberculosis, computed tomography of the sinuses, methacholine challenge test or barium swallow may be indicated. By using a standard protocol for diagnosis and treatment, 90 percent of patients with chronic cough can be managed successfully in the family physician's office. However, in some cases it may take three to five months to determine a diagnosis and effective treatment. For the minority of patients in whom this diagnostic approach is unsuccessful, consultation with a pulmonary specialist is appropriate.
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PMID:An office approach to the diagnosis of chronic cough. 986 76

Persistent dry cough is a common presenting symptom which may be associated with considerable morbidity. In the majority of patients, systematic investigation reveals an underlying cause, usually asthma, postnasal drip, gastrooesophageal reflux or various combinations of these conditions. Intensive treatment of the underlying cause usually leads to improvement or resolution of the cough. However, in a minority of patients, no underlying cause is identified despite appropriate investigation. In these patients with idiopathic persistent dry cough, cough sensitivity to inhaled tussigens is enhanced, suggesting that increased sensitivity of airway sensory nerves is important in pathogenesis. An ideal antitussive would reduce this increased sensitivity to normal levels without significant adverse effects but currently available antitussives fall short of this expectation. This review discusses the currently available antitussive therapy and explores potential avenues for the development of future novel antitussive therapies.
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PMID:Treatment of persistent dry cough: if possible, treat the cause; if not, treat the cough. 1044 85

Many different conditions and diseases cause cough. The commonest acute causes are pollution, including cigarette smoke, and upper respiratory tract infection. The commonest chronic causes are postnasal drip, asthma, chronic bronchitis and gastro-oesophageal reflux. Epidemiological studies give widely different patterns of incidence. The different conditions that cause cough have in common the fact that the cough is mediated via the vagus nerves, with sensory receptors in and under the epithelium from the larynx down to the smaller bronchi. These receptors are polymodal, responding to a large variety of stimuli, including mechanical and chemical irritants, inflammatory mediators, intraluminal material and large volume changes of the lungs. With irritation and inflammation, C fibre receptors release neurokinins such as substance P, which in turn stimulate cough receptors. The central nervous pathways for the cough reflex are poorly understood. They can be activated or inhibited voluntarily. Studies on the pharmacology of the central nervous pathways of coughing are opening up new therapeutic possibilities. Other new therapies include drugs acting on the sensory receptors for cough, thereby avoiding adverse central nervous effects.
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PMID:Advances in understanding and treatment of cough. 1044 86

Cough becomes chronic after three weeks of evolution. Chronic cough is due to four syndromes in 90% of cases: postnasal drip syndrome, asthma, gastroesophageal reflux and chronic bronchitis. Each syndrome needs a specific therapeutic approach. Antitussive drugs like dextromethorphan are prescribed in cases of complicated cough. Cough secondary to angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors must not be neglected. In case of failure of initial check up or lack of response to specific therapy, a more thorough examination must be conducted in a specialized centre.
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PMID:[Chronic cough]. 1052 11

Using the anatomic, diagnostic protocol, the cause of chronic cough can be determined 88% to 100% of the time, leading to specific therapy with success rates of 84% to 98%. Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), along with postnasal drip syndrome (PNDS) and asthma, is one of the three most common causes of chronic cough in all age groups. When GERD is the cause of chronic cough, there may be no gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms up to 75% of the time, and, in these cases, the term "silent GERD" is used. The most sensitive and specific test for GERD is 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring. In interpreting this test, it is essential not only to evaluate the duration and frequency of the reflux episodes but also to determine the temporal relationship between reflux and cough events. Patients with normal standard reflux parameters still may have reflux diagnosed as the likely cause of cough if a temporal relationship exists. The definitive diagnosis of cough resulting from GERD can only be made if cough goes away with antireflux therapy. When 24-hour esophageal pH monitoring cannot be done, an empiric trial of antireflux medical therapy is appropriate when GERD is a likely cause of chronic cough. It is likely in the following settings: patients with prominent GI symptoms consistent with GERD and/or those with no GI complaints and normal chest x-rays, who are not taking angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and who are not smoking, and in whom asthma and PNDS have been excluded. However, if empiric treatment fails, it cannot be assumed that GERD has been ruled out as a cause of chronic cough; rather, objective investigation for GERD is recommended, because the empiric therapy may not have been intensive enough or it may have failed. In treating patients with chronic cough resulting from GERD, cough has been reported to resolve with medical therapy 70% to 100% of the time. Mean time to recovery may take as long as 161 to 179 days, and patients may not start to get better for 2 to 3 months. In patients who fail to respond to maximal medical therapy, antireflux surgery can be successful.
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PMID:Anatomical diagnostic protocol in evaluating chronic cough with specific reference to gastroesophageal reflux disease. 1071 65

Mast cells and eosinophils may play a role in the pathophysiology of chronic cough in nonasthmatics. It is unknown, however, whether degranulation of these cells occurs in the airways of such patients. Thirty-five nonsmoking patients referred with a chronic nonproductive cough (mean cough duration 76.2 months) were evaluated using a comprehensive diagnostic protocol. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell differentials and BAL histamine, tryptase and eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) concentrations were determined. Ten nonsmoking healthy volunteers served as controls. Diagnostic subgroups were identified: eight postnasal drip syndrome (PNDS), seven cough variant asthma (CVA), seven gastro-esophageal reflux (GOR), seven dual aetiology and six idiopathic. Nonasthmatic coughers (NAC) were characterized as those patients without bronchial hyperresponsiveness on histamine challenge and whose cough had either responded to therapy for PNDS or GOR or failed to improve with antiasthma therapy. There was a significant increase in both eosinophil and mast cell numbers (p<0.05) and in histamine levels (p = 0.027) when NAC patients were compared with controls. Tryptase and ECP levels were elevated in 7 of 23 and 6 of 23 NAC patients, respectively. In conclusion, airway inflammatory cell numbers are not only increased but also activated, suggesting an important role for airways inflammation in the pathophysiology of chronic nonproductive cough.
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PMID:Bronchoalveolar lavage findings in patients with chronic nonproductive cough. 1083 24

Chronic cough is a stressful condition and can lead to extensive investigations. Bronchial asthma and postnasal drip syndrome are common causes, but sometimes the origin of cough is outside the respiratory tract (1,2). Such a relatively simple test as esophageal pH probing may suggest appropriate (antireflux) therapy.
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PMID:A teenager with an annoying cough. 1104 7


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