Chronic Cough in Adults
Course Overview
Chronic cough is common, debilitating, often treatment-refractory, and can persist for years or decades as patients cycle through repetitive clinical workups without effective treatment. Hypersensitivity of vagal afferent neurons in the airways and their central projections underlies chronic cough, regardless of inciting etiology or comorbid disease. Thorough assessment to identify and treat potential causes is required. Coughing that persists is considered refractory chronic cough; for these patients, the therapeutic focus shifts to downregulating the hypersensitive cough pathway. Chronic cough is now considered a distinct pathologic entity and not merely a symptom of another disease. This distinction is important for clinicians to make.
Learning Outcomes
Upon the completion of this course, the learner should be able to:
- Describe the background and terminology related to chronic cough.
- Compare and contrast available cough severity measures.
- Outline the epidemiology of chronic cough and underlying etiologies.
- Evaluate the impact of chronic cough on various dimensions of patients' lives.
- Discuss the natural history and course of chronic cough.
- Describe the pathophysiology of chronic cough.
- Outline components of the initial evaluation of patients with chronic cough.
- Identify potential underlying etiologies of chronic cough as well as appropriate management approaches for these conditions.
- Analyze available treatment modalities for chronic cough of various underlying causes, including upper respiratory, lower respiratory, and reflux-associated cough.
- Identify appropriate modalities for the treatment of refractory chronic cough, including pharmacotherapy, nonpharmacologic approaches, and investigational agents.
About the Author/Presenter
Mark Rose, BS, MA, LP, is a licensed psychologist in the State of Minnesota with a private consulting practice and a medical research analyst with a biomedical communications firm. Earlier healthcare technology assessment work led to medical device and pharmaceutical sector experience in new product development involving cancer ablative devices and pain therapeutics. Along with substantial experience in addiction research, Mr. Rose has contributed to the authorship of numerous papers on CNS, oncology, and other medical disorders. He is the lead author of papers published in peer-reviewed addiction, psychiatry, and pain medicine journals and has written books on prescription opioids and alcoholism published by the Hazelden Foundation. He also serves as an Expert Advisor and Expert Witness to law firms that represent disability claimants or criminal defendants on cases related to chronic pain, psychiatric/substance use disorders, and acute pharmacologic/toxicologic effects. Mr. Rose is on the Board of Directors of the Minneapolis-based International Institute of Anti-Aging Medicine and is a member of several professional organizations.
Audience/Accreditations and Approvals
TRC Healthcare/ NetCE
In support of improving patient care, this activity has been planned and implemented by TRC Healthcare/ NetCE. TRC Healthcare/NetCE is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
This course is designed for the following healthcare professions (select your profession for details):
Nursing, Physician
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