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. 2019 Dec 8;5(4):00248-2019.
doi: 10.1183/23120541.00248-2019. eCollection 2019 Oct.

Prevalence of chronic wet cough and protracted bacterial bronchitis in Aboriginal children

Pamela Laird  1   2   3 , James Totterdell  1 , Roz Walker  4 , Anne B Chang  5   6 , André Schultz  1   3   7
Affiliations

Prevalence of chronic wet cough and protracted bacterial bronchitis in Aboriginal children

Pamela Laird et al. ERJ Open Res. .

Erratum in

Abstract

Background: Chronic wet cough, the most common symptom of a disease spectrum that encompasses protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) and bronchiectasis, is common among Aboriginal children. In the absence of any community prevalence data, and with the high burden of respiratory disease and the European Respiratory Society task force's recommendation to identify disease burden, we determined the prevalence of chronic wet cough and PBB in young Aboriginal children in four remote communities in north Western Australia.

Methods: A whole-population, prospective study was conducted. Aboriginal children aged ≤7 years were clinically assessed for chronic wet cough by paediatric respiratory clinicians between July 2018 and May 2019. Where children had a wet cough but parents reported a short or uncertain cough duration, children were followed up 1 month later. A medical record audit 6 weeks to 3 months later was used to determine those children with chronic wet cough who had PBB (based on response to antibiotics).

Results: Of the 203 children, 191 (94%; median age 3.5 years, range 0-7 years) were enrolled. At the initial visit, chronic wet cough was present in 21 (11%), absent in 143 (75%) and unknown in 27 (14%). By follow-up, the total prevalence of chronic wet cough was 13% (95% CI 8-19%) and 10% (95% CI 7-17%) for PBB. Chronic wet cough was more common in the two communities with unsealed roads (19%) compared to the two with sealed roads (7%).

Conclusion: Given the relatively high prevalence, strategies to address reasons for and treatment of chronic wet cough and PBB in young Aboriginal children in remote north Western Australia are required.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: P. Laird reports grants (NHMRC PhD Scholarship, Hot North and Stan and Jean Perron Top-up Scholarships) from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia, Menzies school of Health Research and Stan and Jean Perron Foundation during the conduct of the study. Conflict of interest: J. Totterdell has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: R. Walker has nothing to disclose. Conflict of interest: A.B. Chang reports grants (project, Centre for Research Excellence and practitioner fellowship) from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia during the conduct of the study; and other potential conflict from being an author in UpToDate and USA Chest Chronic Cough Guidelines outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: A. Schultz reports a grant (APP1131932) and a TRIP Fellowship (APP1168022) from National Health and Medical Research Council, Australia, during the conduct of the study.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Process of recruitment and data collection.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Results of cough status at recruitment and 1-month follow-up in Aboriginal children in four remote communities.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Outcomes of children with chronic wet cough. PBB: protracted bacterial bronchitis.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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