Chronic Cough - Fiona Horwood

Dr Fiona Horwood talks about the management of chronic cough in primary care. Fiona is clinical head of general medicine and a respiratory physician at Counties Manukau DHB. Fiona overviews the basics of the cough mechanism and its various causes as well as when to seek further tests/interventions.

Topics

mechanics of cough
three common causes post nasal drip, gastroesophageal reflux, and asthma
when does an acute cough become chronic?
timescales in adults and children
key points to cover when taking history
how long does it take a cough to resolve when someone stops smoking or if someone comes off their ACE inhibitor?
common cause of chronic cough
less common causes of chronic cough
what investigations would be useful in a primary care setting?
upper airways cough syndrome
when to refer to secondary care?
chronic refractory cough… how do we improve a person’s quality of life?
is there an evidence base for using antitussives?
what is speech pathology and does it work?
take home messages.