KAAACI Evidence-Based Clinical Practice Guidelines for Chronic Cough in Adults and Children in Korea

Abstract

Chronic cough is common in the community and causes significant morbidity. Severalfactors may underlie this problem, but comorbid conditions located at sensory nerve endingsthat regulate the cough reflex, including rhinitis, rhinosinusitis, asthma, eosinophilicbronchitis, and gastroesophageal reflux disease, are considered important. However, chroniccough is frequently non-specific and accompanied by not easily identifiable causes during theinitial evaluation. Therefore, there are unmet needs for developing empirical treatment andpractical diagnostic approaches that can be applied in primary clinics. Meanwhile, in referralclinics, a considerable proportion of adult patients with chronic cough are unexplained orrefractory to conventional treatment. The present clinical practice guidelines aim to addressmajor clinical questions regarding empirical treatment, practical diagnostic tools for nonspecificchronic cough, and available therapeutic options for chronic wet cough in childrenand unexplained chronic cough in adults in Korea.