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- 1 Australian Centre for Health Services Innovation, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD
- 2 Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, QLD
- 3 Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, NT
- 4 Rural and Remote Health, Flinders University, Darwin, NT
- 5 University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD
- 6 Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
- 7 Wal‐yan Respiratory Research Centre, Perth, WA
- 8 Perth Children's Hospital, Perth, WA
- 9 University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW
- 10 Lung Foundation Australia, Brisbane, QLD
- 11 Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
- 12 Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC
- 13 Monash University, Melbourne, VIC
- 14 Institute for Breathing and Sleep, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
- 15 Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD
- 16 Austin Health, Melbourne, VIC
- 17 University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC
- 18 Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD
- 19 Alfred Health, Melbourne, VIC
- 20 Western Sydney University, Sydney, NSW
- 21 Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC
- 22 Hunter Medical Research Institute, University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW
- 23 John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, NSW
Open access:
Open access publishing facilitated by Queensland University of Technology, as part of the Wiley ‐ Queensland University of Technology agreement via the Council of Australian University Librarians.
We thank Lung Foundation Australia and the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand for their support in the preparation of these guidelines.
The authors received no specific funding for this work. Julie Marchant is supported by the Lung Foundation Australia Hope Research Fund Andrew Harrison Fellowship in Bronchiectasis Research 2021 and receives personal fees from being an author of two UpToDate chapters, outside of the submitted work. Anne Chang reports multiple grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) during the conduct of this work; is an independent data monitoring committee member for an unlicensed vaccine (GSK) and an unlicensed monoclonal antibody (AstraZeneca); is an advisory member on the study design for an unlicensed molecule for chronic cough (Merck); and has received personal fees from being an author of two UpToDate chapters, outside the submitted work. Andre Schultz receives salary support from a Medical Research Future Fund Investigator Grant (APP1193796). Danielle Wurzel has received research grants from the NHMRC and GSK, and honoraria from Merck and MSD. Stuart Mazzone has received honoraria from Merck, NeRRe Therapeutics, Reckitt Benckiser and Bellus Health for consultancy on their antitussive programs, and antitussive‐related grant support from Merck, Bellus Health and Reckitt Benckiser, as well as multiple grants from the NHMRC and the Australian Research Council. Shyamali Dharmage has received multiple grants from the NHMRC and the Australian Research Council, including the NHMRC Investigator Grant (APP1193993) that currently supports her. Additionally, Shyamali Dharmage and Jennifer Perret have received independent investigator‐initiated grants from AstraZeneca and GSK for unrelated research. Jennifer Perret is supported by an NHMRC Early Career Fellowship (APP1159090). Johnson George has received honoraria through consultations for AstraZeneca, GSK and Pfizer which have been paid to his employer, and has held research grants from Boehringer Ingelheim, GSK and Pfizer through investigator‐initiated research schemes. All other authors have no conflicts of interest to declare in relation to this work.
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Abstract
Introduction: Cough is the most common symptom leading to medical consultation. Chronic cough results in significant health care costs, impairs quality of life, and may indicate the presence of a serious underlying condition. Here, we present a summary of an updated position statement on cough management in the clinical consultation.
Main recommendations: Assessment of children and adults requires a focused history of chronic cough to identify any red flag cough pointers that may indicate an underlying disease. Further assessment with examination should include a chest x‐ray and spirometry (when age > 6 years). Separate paediatric and adult diagnostic management algorithms should be followed. Management of the underlying condition(s) should follow specific disease guidelines, as well as address adverse environmental exposures and patient/carer concerns. First Nations adults and children should be considered a high risk group. The full statement from the Thoracic Society of Australia and New Zealand and Lung Foundation Australia for managing chronic cough is available at https://lungfoundation.com.au/resources/cicada‐full‐position‐statement.
Changes in management as a result of this statement: