Department of Internal Medicine, Gachon University Gil Medical Center, Incheon, Korea.
Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
Lung. 2019 Oct;197(5):635-639. doi: 10.1007/s00408-019-00258-9. Epub 2019 Aug 16.
Chronic cough is a common problem in various populations. The present study assessed the impact of cough and unmet needs in Korean patients with chronic cough.
This cross-sectional multi-center study enrolled adult patients newly referred to clinic for assessment of chronic cough. A second group of patients with unexplained chronic cough following detailed assessment were recruited for comparison. Patients completed self-reported questionnaires, including cough characteristics, impact of cough on daily life, and unmet needs.
A total of 447 subjects were recruited from six referral clinics, including 408 with chronic cough and 39 with unexplained chronic cough. Almost all patients reported that cough impacted their daily lives. Psychosocial impacts were more evident in unexplained cough patients compared to newly referred patients. Approximately 75% of newly referred patients had previously sought medical care for cough on multiple occasions, but the effectiveness of treatment was limited (70.3%) or absent (17.3%). The most frequent unmet need was the ineffectiveness of treatment (49.3%), followed by unclear diagnosis (30.1%). The majority of participants ( > 80%) expressed the need for further information on accessing cough specialists and disease management. The main problem faced by unexplained cough patients was poor cough control despite treatment (64%).
Chronic cough has a substantial impact on daily life and is worst in those whose cough remains unexplained following assessment. Ineffectiveness of treatment and unclear diagnosis were major unmet needs. Medical information about chronic cough was also lacking. Improvements in the management of chronic cough patients in Korea are necessary.
慢性咳嗽是各种人群中的常见问题。本研究评估了韩国慢性咳嗽患者咳嗽和未满足需求的影响。
这项横断面多中心研究招募了新转诊至诊所评估慢性咳嗽的成年患者。招募了另一组经过详细评估后患有不明原因慢性咳嗽的患者作为对照组。患者完成了自我报告问卷，包括咳嗽特征、咳嗽对日常生活的影响和未满足的需求。
共从六家转诊诊所招募了 447 名受试者，其中 408 名患有慢性咳嗽，39 名患有不明原因的慢性咳嗽。几乎所有患者都报告说咳嗽影响了他们的日常生活。与新转诊患者相比，不明原因咳嗽患者的心理社会影响更为明显。约 75%的新转诊患者曾多次因咳嗽寻求医疗，但治疗效果有限（70.3%）或无效（17.3%）。最常见的未满足需求是治疗无效（49.3%），其次是诊断不明确（30.1%）。大多数参与者（>80%）表示需要进一步了解如何获得咳嗽专家和疾病管理。不明原因咳嗽患者面临的主要问题是尽管治疗但咳嗽仍无法控制（64%）。
慢性咳嗽对日常生活有重大影响，在评估后咳嗽仍未明确原因的患者中最为严重。治疗无效和诊断不明确是主要的未满足需求。关于慢性咳嗽的医学信息也缺乏。韩国有必要改善慢性咳嗽患者的管理。
