Chronic Cough in Children

Chronic cough is a sign of impaired clearance of mucous and debris from a patient’s airway. The etiologies behind chronic cough are many but include aerodigestive diseases affecting the upper airway, lower airway, and gastrointestinal tract. The approach to a chronic cough in an aerodigestive model of care, like many diseases, involves a thorough history, physical exam, and focused diagnostic testing often with the aid of a multidisciplinary team including pulmonary, gastroenterology, otolaryngology, speech therapy, and surgery. Even solo practitioners, without the available resources of large tertiary centers, should be aware of possible approaches to investigate a chronic cough as a potential aerodigestive disorder. In this chapter, we break down the physiology behind a cough, the various causes of a chronic cough, and the diagnostic approach from a pulmonologist’s perspective. Our aim is to shed light on a common symptom while considering potentially complex diseases.