http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/ en-us Wed, 28 Nov 2012 00:00:00 GMT Tue, 01 Jan 2013 00:43:39 GMT Silverchair editor@archinte.jamanetwork.com webmaster@archinte.jamanetwork.com http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1105593 Mon, 10 Aug 1998 00:00:00 GMT French CL, Irwin RS, Curley FJ, et al. <span class="paragraphSection"><div class="boxTitle">Background</div>Cough is the most common complaint for which adult patients seek medical care in the United States; however, the reason(s) for this is unknown.<div class="boxTitle">Objectives</div>To determine whether chronic cough was associated with adverse psychosocial or physical effects on the quality of life and whether the elimination of chronic cough with specific therapy improved these adverse effects.<div class="boxTitle">Methods</div>The study design was a prospective before-and-after intervention trial with patients serving as their own controls. Study subjects were a convenience sample of 39 consecutive and unselected adult patients referred for evaluation and management of a chronic, persistently troublesome cough. Baseline data were available for 39 patients and follow-up for 28 patients (22 women and 6 men). At baseline, demographic, Adverse Cough Outcome Survey (ACOS), and Sickness Impact Profile (SIP) data were collected and patients were managed according to a validated, systematic protocol. Following specific therapy for cough, ACOS and SIP instruments were readministered.<div class="boxTitle">Results</div>The ages, sex, duration, and spectra and frequencies of the causes of cough were similar to multiple other studies. At baseline, patients reported a mean±SD of 8.6±4.8 types of adverse occurrences related to cough. There were significant correlations between multiple ACOS items and total, physical, and psychosocial SIP scores. Psychosocial score correlated with total number of symptoms (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span><.02). After cough disappeared with treatment, ACOS complaints decreased to a mean±SD of 1.9±3.2 (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span><.0001) as did total (mean±SD, 4.8±4.5 to 1.8±2.2) (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span>=.004), psychosocial (mean±SD, 4.2±6.8 to 0.8±2.3) (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span>=.004), and physical (mean±SD, 2.2±2.9 to 0.9±1.8) (<span style="font-style:italic;">P</span>=.05) SIP scores. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that 54% of variability of the psychosocial SIP score was explained by 4 ACOS items while none of the physical score was explained.<div class="boxTitle">Conclusions</div>Chronic cough was associated with deterioration in patients' quality of life. The health-related dysfunction was most likely psychosocial. The ACOS and SIP appear to be valid tools in assessing the impact of chronic cough.</span> 158 15 1657 1661 10.1001/archinte.158.15.1657 http://archinte.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleID=1105593