[Chronic cough in children: signs of serious disease and investigations]

Abstract

Only in some particular cases chronic cough requires special investigations. Respiratory diseases linked to environment are frequent in children. Cough is the most common symptom in child asthma and usually occurs during sleep or exercise. Environmental tobacco smoke exposure may concern up to 30% of families. Questioning should systematically check for parental smoking in children with chronic cough since avoidance is the only effective treatment. The incidence of whooping cough appears to be increasing and the diagnosis may be difficult among already immunized children in whom symptoms are often nonspecific. Nowadays Bordetella pertussis can easily be detected on nasal smears (ELISA, PCR, cultures). Swallowing dysfunction may cause productive cough in toddlers, most often related to functional dyspraxia, yet possibly due to aerodigestive tract malformation. Unrecognized bronchial foreign body is a well-known pitfall particularly between 9 and 36 months of age. Bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis are responsible for chronic productive cough in toddlers and older children. In teenagers, psychogenic coughing is difficult to manage and usually requires psycho- and speech therapy.