Chronic Cough

1995 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 72-73
Author(s):  
Jeffrey M. Ewig

Cough is a reflex that protects the lungs from aspirating food or inhaling irritants. It is a key component of the nonimmune pulmonary defense system. The cough that accompanies most common respiratory infections usually resolves in 7 to 10 days and rarely is a cause of concern. The patient who has frequent viral infections may complain of a "chronic" cough, but a careful history will reveal a shorter duration of repetitive episodes with coughs resolving completely in between infections. Chronic cough usually is defined as lasting for more than 3 to 4 weeks. Chronic cough is a symptom, not a diagnosis, and the underlying cause should be ascertained.

2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Mori ◽  
Daisuke Kaneda ◽  
Atsushi Fujiki ◽  
Kenichi Isoda ◽  
Tomoya Kotani ◽  
...  

Swyer-James syndrome is a rare syndrome that occurs as a result of repeated bronchiolitis and pneumonitis in childhood. Most cases are asymptomatic, and subsequent diagnosis may not occur until adulthood. We present the case of a 7-year-old female with Swyer-James syndrome, which was initially diagnosed and treated as asthma. The patient developed respiratory distress and atelectasis which were treated with biphasic cuirass ventilation. This case suggests that Swyer-James syndrome should be a concern in patients with chronic cough and wheezing, and highlights the importance of taking a careful history and appropriate radiological investigations for diagnosis. Once Swyer-James syndrome is diagnosed, prophylaxis and appropriate management of respiratory infections becomes important.


Biomedicines ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 348
Author(s):  
Francesco Menzella ◽  
Giulia Ghidoni ◽  
Carla Galeone ◽  
Silvia Capobelli ◽  
Chiara Scelfo ◽  
...  

Viral respiratory infections are recognized risk factors for the loss of control of allergic asthma and the induction of exacerbations, both in adults and children. Severe asthma is more susceptible to virus-induced asthma exacerbations, especially in the presence of high IgE levels. In the course of immune responses to viruses, an initial activation of innate immunity typically occurs and the production of type I and III interferons is essential in the control of viral spread. However, the Th2 inflammatory environment still appears to be protective against viral infections in general and in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections as well. As for now, literature data, although extremely limited and preliminary, show that severe asthma patients treated with biologics don’t have an increased risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection or progression to severe forms compared to the non-asthmatic population. Omalizumab, an anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, exerts a profound cellular effect, which can stabilize the effector cells, and is becoming much more efficient from the point of view of innate immunity in contrasting respiratory viral infections. In addition to the antiviral effect, clinical efficacy and safety of this biological allow a great improvement in the management of asthma.


2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S82-S82
Author(s):  
Zahra Kassamali Escobar ◽  
Todd Bouchard ◽  
Jose Mari Lansang ◽  
Scott Thomassen ◽  
Joanne Huang ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Between 15–50% of patients seen in ambulatory settings are prescribed an antibiotic. At least one third of this usage is considered unnecessary. In 2019, our institution implemented the MITIGATE Toolkit, endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce inappropriate antibiotic prescribing for viral respiratory infections in emergency and urgent care settings. In February 2020 we identified our first hospitalized patient with SARS-CoV(2). In March, efforts to limit person-to-person contact led to shelter in place orders and substantial reorganization of our healthcare system. During this time we continued to track rates of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing. Methods This was a single center observational study. Electronic medical record data were accessed to determine antibiotic prescribing and diagnosis codes. We provided monthly individual feedback to urgent care prescribers, (Sep 2019-Mar 2020), primary care, and ED providers (Jan 2020 – Mar 2020) notifying them of their specific rate of unnecessary antibiotic prescribing and labeling them as a top performer or not a top performer compared to their peers. The primary outcome was rate of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. Results Pre toolkit intervention, 14,398 patient visits met MITIGATE inclusion criteria and 12% received an antibiotic unnecessarily in Jan-April 2019. Post-toolkit intervention, 12,328 patient visits met inclusion criteria and 7% received an antibiotic unnecessarily in Jan-April 2020. In April 2020, patient visits dropped to 10–50% of what they were in March 2020 and April 2019. During this time the unnecessary antibiotic prescribing rate doubled in urgent care to 7.8% from 3.6% the previous month and stayed stable in primary care and the ED at 3.2% and 11.8% respectively in April compared to 4.6% and 10.4% in the previous month. Conclusion Rates of inappropriate antibiotic prescribing were reduced nearly in half from 2019 to 2020 across 3 ambulatory care settings. The increase in prescribing in April seen in urgent care and after providers stopped receiving their monthly feedback is concerning. Many factors may have contributed to this increase, but it raises concerns for increased inappropriate antibacterial usage as a side effect of the SARS-CoV(2) pandemic. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 363-382
Author(s):  
Mario Dioguardi ◽  
Angela Pia Cazzolla ◽  
Claudia Arena ◽  
Diego Sovereto ◽  
Giorgia Apollonia Caloro ◽  
...  

COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019) is an emerging viral disease caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2), which leads to severe respiratory infections in humans. The first reports came in December 2019 from the city of Wuhan in the province of Hubei in China. It was immediately clear that children developed a milder disease than adults. The reasons for the milder course of the disease were attributed to several factors: innate immunity, difference in ACE2 (angiotensin-converting enzyme II) receptor expression, and previous infections with other common coronaviruses (CovH). This literature review aims to summarize aspects of innate immunity by focusing on the role of ACE2 expression and viral infections in children in modulating the antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review was conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Articles deemed potentially eligible were considered, including those dealing with COVID-19 in children and providing more up-to-date and significant data in terms of epidemiology, prognosis, course, and symptoms, focusing on the etiopathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 disease in children. The bibliographic search was conducted using the search engines PubMed and Scopus. The following search terms were entered in PubMed and Scopus: COVID-19 AND ACE2 AND Children; COVID-19 AND Immunity innate AND children. The search identified 857 records, and 18 studies were applicable based on inclusion and exclusion criteria that addressed the issues of COVID-19 concerning the role of ACE2 expression in children. The scientific literature agrees that children develop milder COVID-19 disease than adults. Milder symptomatology could be attributed to innate immunity or previous CovH virus infections, while it is not yet fully understood how the differential expression of ACE2 in children could contribute to milder disease.


2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamyar Khoshnevisan ◽  
Hassan Maleki ◽  
Hadi Baharifar

Abstract The effectiveness of silver nanomaterials (AgNMs), as antiviral agents, has been confirmed in humans against many different types of viruses. Nanobiocides-based AgNMs can be effectively applied to eliminate coronaviruses (CoVs), as the cause of various diseases in animals and humans, particularly the fatal human respiratory infections. Mostly, these NMs act effectively against CoVs, thanks to the NMs’ fundamental anti-viral structures like reactive oxygen species (ROS), and photo-dynamic and photo-thermal abilities. Particularly, the antiviral activity of AgNMs is clarified under three inhibitory mechanisms including viral entry limitation, attachment inhibition, and viral replication limitation. It is believed that nanobiocide with other possible materials such as TiO2, silica and, carbon NMs exclusively nano-graphene materials can emerge as a more effective disinfectant for long-term stability with low toxicity than common disinfectants. Nanobiocides also can be applied for the prevention and treatment of viral infections specifically against COVID-19. Graphic Abstract


Author(s):  
Timo Huber ◽  
Philipp Steininger ◽  
Pascal Irrgang ◽  
Klaus Korn ◽  
Matthias Tenbusch ◽  
...  

AbstractSARS-CoV-2 antibody assays are used for epidemiological studies and for the assessment of vaccine responses in highly vulnerable patients. So far, data on cross-reactivity of SARS-CoV-2 antibody assays is limited. Here, we compared four enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs; Vircell SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgA and IgG, Euroimmun SARS-CoV-2 IgA and IgG) for detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 207 patients with COVID-19, 178 patients with serological evidence of different bacterial infections, 107 patients with confirmed viral respiratory disease, and 80 controls from the pre-COVID-19 era. In COVID-19 patients, the assays showed highest sensitivity in week 3 (Vircell-IgM/A and Euroimmun-IgA: 78.9% each) and after week 7 (Vircell-IgG: 97.9%; Euroimmun-IgG: 92.1%). The antibody indices were higher in patients with fatal disease. In general, IgM/IgA assays had only limited or no benefit over IgG assays. In patients with non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infections, IgG assays were more specific than IgM/IgA assays, and bacterial infections were associated with more false-positive results than viral infections. The specificities in bacterial and viral infections were 68.0 and 81.3% (Vircell-IgM/IgA), 84.8 and 96.3% (Euroimmun-IgA), 97.8 and 86.0% (Vircell-IgG), and 97.8 and 99.1% (Euroimmun-IgG), respectively. Sera from patients positive for antibodies against Mycoplasma pneumoniae, Chlamydia psittaci, and Legionella pneumophila yielded particularly high rates of unspecific false-positive results in the IgM/IgA assays, which was revealed by applying a highly specific flow-cytometric assay using HEK 293 T cells expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Positive results obtained with anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM/IgA ELISAs require careful interpretation, especially if there is evidence for prior bacterial respiratory infections.


Author(s):  
Cecilia Johansson ◽  
Freja C. M. Kirsebom

AbstractViral respiratory infections are a common cause of severe disease, especially in infants, people who are immunocompromised, and in the elderly. Neutrophils, an important innate immune cell, infiltrate the lungs rapidly after an inflammatory insult. The most well-characterized effector mechanisms by which neutrophils contribute to host defense are largely extracellular and the involvement of neutrophils in protection from numerous bacterial and fungal infections is well established. However, the role of neutrophils in responses to viruses, which replicate intracellularly, has been less studied. It remains unclear whether and, by which underlying immunological mechanisms, neutrophils contribute to viral control or confer protection against an intracellular pathogen. Furthermore, neutrophils need to be tightly regulated to avoid bystander damage to host tissues. This is especially relevant in the lung where damage to delicate alveolar structures can compromise gas exchange with life-threatening consequences. It is inherently less clear how neutrophils can contribute to host immunity to viruses without causing immunopathology and/or exacerbating disease severity. In this review, we summarize and discuss the current understanding of how neutrophils in the lung direct immune responses to viruses, control viral replication and spread, and cause pathology during respiratory viral infections.


Author(s):  
Е.Е. Краснова ◽  
В.В. Чемоданов ◽  
Е.Г. Кузнецова

Пневмония – острое инфекционно-воспалительное заболевание легких преимущественно бактериальной этиологии, характеризующееся выраженной в разной степени дыхательной недостаточностью, токсическими и респираторными нарушениями, локальными физикальными симптомами, а также инфильтративными изменениями на рентгенограмме. Заболеваемость внебольничными пневмониями повышается в октябре-декабре, достигая максимума в январе-апреле, коррелируя с сезонным повышением уровня острых респираторных вирусных инфекций. Схожесть симптомов дебюта пневмонии с проявлениями острых респираторных вирусных инфекций может привести к несвоевременной ее диагностике и, как следствие, к отсроченному началу лечения. Поэтому в период сезонной заболеваемости респираторными инфекциями должна повышаться настороженность врачей-педиатров в отношении внебольничной пневмонии. Антибактериальная терапия оказывает решающее влияние на прогноз пневмонии, поэтому при достоверном диагнозе или у больного в тяжелом состоянии с вероятным диагнозом ее следует начать незамедлительно. Выбор антибиотика в каждом случае внебольничной пневмонии проводят индивидуально с учетом природной активности препаратов в отношении предполагаемого возбудителя и их возможной приобретенной резистентности, тяжести и течения заболевания, наличия у пациента противопоказаний к использованию тех или иных антибиотиков. В статье приводятся сведения о диагностических критериях внебольничных пневмоний. Рассмотрены вопросы антибактериального лечения типичной нетяжелой пневмонии у детей разных возрастных групп амоксициллином с клавулановой кислотой и показана его эффективность. Результаты проведенного исследования позволяют заключить, что пероральное использование одного курса защищенного аминопенициллина эффективно при лечении типичной внебольничной нетяжелой пневмонии у детей разного возраста, о чем свидетельствует ликвидация основных клинических проявлений болезни в короткие сроки. Pneumonia is an acute infectious and inflammatory lung disease of predominantly bacterial etiology, characterized by respiratory failure, toxic and respiratory disorders, local physical symptoms, and infiltrative changes on the roentgenogram. The incidence of community-acquired pneumonia increases in October-December, reaching a maximum in January-April, correlating with the seasonal increase in the level of acute respiratory viral infections. The similarity of the symptoms of the onset of pneumonia with the manifestations of acute respiratory viral infections can lead to its untimely diagnosis and, as a consequence, to a delayed start of treatment. Therefore, during the period of seasonal morbidity with respiratory infections, the alertness of pediatricians in relation to community-acquired pneumonia should increase. Antibiotic therapy has a decisive influence on the prognosis of pneumonia, therefore, with a reliable diagnosis or in a patient in serious condition with a probable diagnosis, it should be started immediately. The choice of antibiotic in each case of community-acquired pneumonia is carried out individually, taking into account the natural activity of the drugs in relation to the alleged pathogen and their possible acquired resistance, the severity and course of the disease, the patient's contraindications to the use of certain antibiotics. The article provides information on the diagnostic criteria for community-acquired pneumonia. The issues of antibacterial treatment of typical non-severe pneumonia in children of different age groups with amoxicillin with clavulanic acid are considered and its effectiveness is shown. The results of the study allow us to conclude that the oral use of one course of protected aminopenicillin is effective in the treatment of typical community-acquired non-severe pneumonia in children of different ages, as evidenced by the elimination of the main clinical manifestations of the disease in a short time.


Author(s):  
Cherry Alviani ◽  
Gary Ruiz ◽  
Atul Gupta

Coughing is a primary pulmonary defence mechanism that enhances clearance of secretions and particles from the airways and protects against aspiration of foreign materials. Coughing may affect 30% of children at any given time (1). Many are healthy children but some may have serious underlying disease. Childhood cough accounts for a large number of consultations and 80% of families who are referred to a paediatric respiratory clinic for chronic cough have sought medical advice five times or more (2). The majority of childhood coughs are secondary to an acute respiratory tract infection and will improve once the infection resolves, usually within 1 to 3 weeks. With pre-school children who may experience between 6 and 10 respiratory infections a year differentiating acute recurrent cough from chronic cough is key (Table 1). Chronic cough can significantly impact a family’s quality of life, as it affects the child’s sleep, school attendance and play. Parents experience distress and anxiety, worrying that the cough may lead to long-term chest damage or even death (3). This article aims to guide clinicians through the assessment of the child with a chronic cough. It will discuss identifying causes, use of first line investigations, initiating appropriate management and addressing parental anxiety and exacerbating factors (4,5).


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 47
Author(s):  
Catalina A. Andrade ◽  
Alexis M. Kalergis ◽  
Karen Bohmwald

Respiratory infections are among the major public health burdens, especially during winter. Along these lines, the human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV) is the principal viral agent causing acute lower respiratory tract infections leading to hospitalization. The pulmonary manifestations due to hRSV infection are bronchiolitis and pneumonia, where the population most affected are infants and the elderly. However, recent evidence suggests that hRSV infection can impact the mother and fetus during pregnancy. Studies have indicated that hRSV can infect different cell types from the placenta and even cross the placenta barrier and infect the fetus. In addition, it is known that infections during the gestational period can lead to severe consequences for the development of the fetus due not only to a direct viral infection but also because of maternal immune activation (MIA). Furthermore, it has been described that the development of the central nervous system (CNS) of the fetus can be affected by the inflammatory environment of the uterus caused by viral infections. Increasing evidence supports the notion that hRSV could invade the CNS and infect nervous cells, such as microglia, neurons, and astrocytes, promoting neuroinflammation. Moreover, it has been described that the hRSV infection can provoke neurological manifestations, including cognitive impairment and behavioral alterations. Here, we will review the potential effect of hRSV in brain development and the potential long-term neurological sequelae.


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