CHEST Guidelines-Chronic Cough Related to Acute Viral Bronchiolitis in Children

Chronic Cough Related to Acute Viral Bronchiolitis in Children

Pdf Summary

The CHEST Expert Panel's report addresses chronic cough in children following acute viral bronchiolitis, a common lung condition in young children. The report investigates the effectiveness of interventions like antibiotics, asthma medications, and inhaled osmotic agents by applying systematic reviews to specific key questions using the PICO framework. Despite searching, no relevant studies were found to provide data directly relevant to these questions. As a result, the panel couldn't produce formal recommendations but instead provides consensus-based suggestions that align with existing guidelines.<br /><br />Key suggestions include managing chronic cough in children according to the CHEST pediatric chronic cough guidelines. They recommend considering a 2-week antibiotic course in cases of wet or productive cough, provided there's no evidence of disease or specific cough indicators like digital clubbing. Asthma medications should not be used to treat cough associated with bronchiolitis unless symptoms or signs of asthma, such as recurrent wheeze, are evident. Likewise, inhaled osmotic agents are not recommended for cough post-bronchiolitis.<br /><br />The report highlights the need for more research in this area, suggesting multi-center studies to document outcomes from bronchiolitis, explore interventions for chronic cough, gauge the impact of environmental factors like tobacco smoke, and assess risk factors for developing chronic cough post-bronchiolitis. These studies could help advance understanding and improve the management of chronic cough following acute viral bronchiolitis in children.

Keywords

chronic cough

children

acute viral bronchiolitis

antibiotics

asthma medications

inhaled osmotic agents

PICO framework

CHEST guidelines

research

environmental factors