Imperial College London, London, UK.
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK.
Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2022 Sep;131(9):962-970. doi: 10.1177/00034894211050627. Epub 2021 Oct 8.
To investigate how the symptoms of mucus and cough impact adults living with laryngotracheal stenosis, and to use this information to guide future research and treatment plans.
A survey was developed with the support of patient advisors and distributed to people suffering with laryngotracheal stenosis. The survey comprised 15 closed and open questions relating to mucus and cough and included the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ). Descriptive statistics, and thematic analyses were completed.
In total, 641 participants completed the survey, with 83.62% (n = 536) reporting problems with mucus; 79% having daily issues of varying severity that led to difficulties with cough (46.18%) and breathing (20.90%). Mucus affected voice and swallowing to a lesser degree. Respondents described a range of triggers; they identified smoky air as the worst environmental trigger. Strategies to manage mucus varied widely with drinking water (72.26%), increasing liquid intake in general (49.35%) and avoiding or reducing dairy (45.32%) the most common approaches to control symptoms. The LCQ showed a median total score of 14 (interquartile range 11-17) indicative of cough negatively affecting quality of life. Thematic analysis of free text responses identified 4 key themes-the Mucus Cycle, Social impact, Psychological impact, and Physical impact.
This study shows the relevance of research focusing on mucus and cough and its negative impact on quality of life, among adults with laryngotracheal stenosis. It demonstrates the inconsistent advice and management strategies provided by clinicians for this issue. Further research is required to identify clearer treatment options and pathways.
调查黏液和咳嗽症状如何影响患有喉气管狭窄的成年人，并利用这些信息指导未来的研究和治疗计划。
在患者顾问的支持下制定了一项调查，并分发给患有喉气管狭窄的患者。该调查包含 15 个与黏液和咳嗽相关的封闭式和开放式问题，其中包括莱斯特咳嗽问卷（LCQ）。完成了描述性统计和主题分析。
共有 641 名参与者完成了调查，83.62%（n=536）报告存在黏液问题；79%的人每天都有不同严重程度的问题，导致咳嗽（46.18%）和呼吸（20.90%）困难。黏液对声音和吞咽的影响较小。受访者描述了一系列诱因；他们认为烟雾是最糟糕的环境诱因。管理黏液的策略多种多样，包括喝水（72.26%）、增加一般液体摄入（49.35%）和避免或减少乳制品（45.32%），这些是控制症状的最常见方法。LCQ 的总得分中位数为 14（四分位距 11-17），表明咳嗽对生活质量有负面影响。对自由文本回复的主题分析确定了 4 个关键主题——黏液循环、社会影响、心理影响和身体影响。
这项研究表明，研究黏液和咳嗽及其对生活质量的负面影响对于患有喉气管狭窄的成年人具有相关性。它表明临床医生对这个问题提供的建议和管理策略不一致。需要进一步研究以确定更明确的治疗选择和途径。
