Acute cough
The duration of cough does not exceed 3 weeks (for chronic cough click here)
If accompanied by dyspnea then investigate as a case of dyspnea.
A. Dry Cough |
Exclude Exertional, Timing, Character, Pain "EE, TCP" |
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1. Exclude exertional cough |
First exclude cardiac causes of cough |
Exertional cough is suggestive of heart failure.
2. Character of cough
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Brassy: laryngitis
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Barking: hysterical
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Bovine: left recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis
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Whooping: pertussus
3. Timing of cough
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At night: bronchial asthma & Left ventricular failure.
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Early morning cough: smokers.
- Episodic: Asthma
4. Associated pain
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Pleuretic (pleurisy)
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Retrosternal (trachiitis)
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Muscle pain: from exertion
B. Productive cough |
(Odour, Character, Posture) |
1. Odor of mucous
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Offensive odor = anaerobic infection
2. Character of mucous
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Caseous: TB
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White grey: smoker or irritation
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Yellow/green: infection
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Brownish: amoebic lung abscess (chocolate/ anchovy sauce)
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Frothy: pulmonary edema
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Thick mucoid: asthma
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Watery: alveolar cell carcinoma
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Saliva: hysterical
3. Relation to posture
Occurs in suppurative lung disease.
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lung abscess: on lying on the healthy side
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bronchiectasis: on leaning forwards.
If any risk factors arouse concern then perform an x-ray.
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