Evidence map›Paper›PMID 16670171›Full record

ArticleThorax2006

Utility of signs and symptoms of chronic cough in predicting specific cause in children.

J M Marchant, I B Masters, S M Taylor, A B Chang

Abstract readEvaluation Study
In one paragraph

Article in Thorax, 2006. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 29 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
29citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

29 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Clinical pathways for chronic cough in children.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014
    Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. A multi-disciplinary approach to chronic cough in children.Laryngoscope investigative otolaryngology · 2022
    Review
  6. Review
  7. Approach to chronic cough in children.Singapore medical journal · 2021
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Revue des maladies respiratoires actualites · 2017
    Article
  13. Article
  14. Analysis of the Literature on Chronic Cough in Children.The open respiratory medicine journal · 2017
    Review
  15. Chronic suppurative lung disease in adults.Journal of thoracic disease · 2016
    Article
  16. Article
  17. Review
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

J M MarchantDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Royal Children's Hospital, Australia. Julie_Marchant@health.qld.gov.au
I B Masters
S M Taylor
A B Chang

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPaediatricians rely on cough descriptors to direct them to the level of investigations needed for a child presenting with chronic cough, yet there is a lack of published data to support this approach. A study was undertaken to evaluate (1) whether historical cough pointers can predict which children have a specific cause for their cough and (2) the usefulness of chest radiography and spirometry as standard investigations in children with chronic cough.

methodsThis was a prospective cohort study of children referred to a tertiary hospital with a cough lasting >3 weeks between June 2002 and July 2004. All included children completed a detailed history and examination using a standardised data collection sheet and followed a pathway of investigation until a diagnosis was made.

resultsIn 100 consecutively recruited children of median age 2.8 years, the best predictor of specific cough observed was a moist cough at the time of consultation with an odds ratio (OR) of 9.34 (95% CI 3.49 to 25.03). Chest examination or chest radiographic abnormalities were also predictive with OR 3.60 (95% CI 1.31 to 9.90) and 3.16 (95% CI 1.32 to 7.62), respectively. The most significant historical pointer for predicting a specific cause of the cough was a parental history of moist cough (sensitivity 96%, specificity 26%, positive predictive value 74%).

conclusionsThe most useful clinical marker in predicting specific cough is the presence of a daily moist cough. Both chest examination and chest radiographic abnormalities are also useful in predicting whether children have a specific cause of their cough.

Indexed as

ChildChild, PreschoolChronic DiseaseCohort StudiesCoughFemaleHumansMaleMedical History TakingPhysical ExaminationPrognosisProspective Studies

Identifiers

PMID16670171
PMCPMC2104702

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.