Ratio of component causes and clinical features of chronic cough:a report of 217 cases

Objective To investigate the ratio of component causes in children with chronic cough in Bengbu city and analyze the distribution of the common clinical features of chronic cough among different causes. Methods A total of 217 children with chronic cough were selected from the pediatric clinic of the First Affiliated Hospital of Bengbu Medical College from June 2017 to May 2019. The etiological diagnosis was made by referring to the Etiologic diagnostic procedure suggested for children by the Chinese Medical Association in 2013 and the clinical characteristics of the children were recorded. Chi-square test was used to analyze the etiological and clinical characteristics of chronic cough in children. Results Among the 217 cases who completed follow-up, the top four causes were upper airway cough syndrome(61 cases, 28.1%), cough variant asthma(54 cases, 24.9%), upper airway cough syndrome with cough variant asthma(37 cases, 17.1%), and post-infection cough(35 cases, 15.7%). The etiology of chronic cough in different age groups was not identical(χ²=31.718, P<0.05); The main etiology of chronic cough in 0-3 years old group was post-infection cough(31.5%), in 4-6 years old group was upper airway cough syndrome(38.9%) and in 7-14 years old group was cough variant asthma(38.2%). There was significant difference in etiologic components between male and female children(χ²=20.087, P<0.05); The primary cause in male children was upper airway cough syndrome(46 cases, 35.4%) and in female children was post-infection cough(22 cases, 25.3%). The distribution of main clinical features of chronic cough among different etiologic groups was different(all P<0.05). Conclusion The top four causes of chronic cough in children in Bengbu area are upper airway cough syndrome, cough variant asthma, cough variant asthma with upper airway cough syndrome, and post-infection cough. The etiologic components are different among different ages and sexes. The distribution of clinical characteristics among different causes are different, which can provide reference for etiologic diagnosis.