Does the established cause of chronic cough depend on diagnostic approach?

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the prevalence of chronic cough causes and to compare the efficacy of two diagnostic approaches used in ambulatory vs. hospitalized setting. Eighty patients with chronic cough, 40 in each group, were enrolled into the study. The etiology of cough was determined on medical history and on either basic (in out-patients) or detailed (in in-patients) investigations on most common causes of chronic cough. We diagnosed etiology of cough in all subjects. The most frequent causes of cough were gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and upper airway cough syndrome (UACS). Nonasthmatic eosinophilic bronchitis (NAEB) and multiple cough causes were recognized more often in hospitalized patients (P<0.05). We conclude that the main causes of chronic cough were GERD and UACS. An extensive diagnostic approach allows recognizing NEAB more frequently and reveals the complex nature of chronic cough.