The Diagnosis and Treatment of Cough

Cough is one of the most common symptoms for which patients seek medical attention from primary care physicians and pulmonologists,¹ probably because cough can so profoundly and adversely affect the quality of patients' lives.² In this review, we present an approach to managing cough in adults. With a systematic approach based on the guidelines we describe, it should be possible to diagnose and treat cough successfully in the great majority of cases. The cause of chronic cough can be determined in 88 to 100 percent of cases, and determination leads to specific therapies with success rates that range from 84 . . .