%0 Journal Article
%T Measuring cough severity: Perspectives from the literature and from patients with chronic cough
%A Margaret Vernon
%A Nancy Leidy
%A Alise Nacson
%A Linda Nelsen
%J Cough
%D 2009
%I BioMed Central
%R 10.1186/1745-9974-5-5
%X This focus groups study included patients with clinician confirmed chronic cough recruited from a large internal medicine clinic in the US. A semi-structured focus group guide was designed to elicit information about patients' experiences with cough severity and their characterization of symptoms. The focus group data were coded to identify concepts and terminology of cough severity.Three focus groups were conducted [n = 22; 6 male; mean age 66.1 (¡À 12.9)]. Etiology included GERD, asthma, bronchitis, post-nasal drip, and other. Three domains of cough severity were identified: frequency, intensity, and disruption. In addition to a single cough, participants in all focus groups described coughing in uncontrollable paroxysms they called "fits," "bouts," "spells," or "episodes." The urge to cough, described as an important sign of impending cough, was considered a component of cough frequency. Participants also described daytime activity and nighttime sleep disruption as an indication of cough severity. Finally, participants described variability in cough severity.Results suggest that patients describe cough severity in terms of frequency, intensity, and disruptiveness, indicating these 3 domains should be addressed when evaluating cough severity and outcomes of treatment.Chronic, persistent cough is a frustrating and bothersome symptom for many adults; loss of sleep, exhaustion, irritability, urinary incontinence, cough syncope, social disability, and inability to perform daily activities are some of the negative outcomes associated with this condition [1]. Many persons experience chronic cough secondary to another medical condition, such as COPD, asthma, rhinosinusitis, GERD, post-nasal drip, or unknown etiology. Chronic cough has been defined as cough present for more than 8 weeks; subacute cough is generally considered to last between 3¨C8 weeks, and may be the result of unresolved symptoms of respiratory infection [2,3]. Cough is a common symptom and a frequently st
%U http://www.coughjournal.com/content/5/1/5