Preliminary study of clinical features and diagnosis of cough variant asthma

Abstract

Objective To investigate the clinical features and the response to treatment for clinical diagnosis of cough variant asthma (CVA) for the raising the level of clinical treatment. Methods We selected the CVA cases from the chronic cough cases with bronchial provocation test positive from respiratory medicine clinic in our hospital and Fuling central hospital from October 2009 to August 2010. The clinical features of cough and symptoms and throat symptoms from the suspected CVA cases were recorded, and then the cases were treated with Salmeterol/fluticasone dry powder (50/100 μg, twice a day) for 1-2 weeks. After 1-2 weeks, the results of treatments and clear diagnosis were evaluated through telephone or clinic follow-up. In addition to its study,the anti-asthma or cough drugs were disable during the treatment. It was statistics effect when cough improved 1/2 or more effective for the treatment. Results 46 patients were selected into this study, and 41 patients completed the follow-up study. Most of CVA patients were with nocturnal cough (87. 9%) and throat itching and other symptoms (87. 9%).Nearly half of CVA patients were with severe cough, and only 39. 0% of patients were with dry cough, and 45. 5% of patients were combined with rhinitis or sinusitis. Therapeutic efficacy was 80.5% (33/41). The clinical features of effective treatments patients and ineffective treatments patients showed that positive symptoms of cough and throat had no significant difference between two groups of patients, but the rate of patients with stomach or gastroesophageal reflux symptoms, there are signs of larynx and pharynx in ineffective treatment group was significantly higher trend than that in effective group.Conclusions Nighttime cough and throat itching symptoms are the majority features CVA.Determination of airway reactivity and anti-asthma treatment response are the main basis for diagnosis of CVA.The reasons of efficacy treatment should be in-depth study in the patients with ineffective treatment against asthma,not simply rule out the diagnosis of CVA. Key words: Cough variant asthma; Clinical feature