Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25006456›Full record

ArticleMultidisciplinary respiratory medicine2014

A novel diagnostic algorithm for chronic and subacute cough.

Peng Lu, Dan Zhou, Chengzhen Jin

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Multidisciplinary respiratory medicine, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Huge aortic arch aneurysm presenting with subacute cough: a case report.Indian journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery · 2025
    Article
  2. Efficacy of sequential three-step empirical therapy for chronic cough.Therapeutic advances in respiratory disease · 2017
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Peng LuRespiratory Department, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China.
Dan ZhouRespiratory Department, Second Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, Harbin 150086, China.
Chengzhen JinRespiratory Department, Fourth Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, No. 37 Yiyuan Street Nangang District, Harbin 150086, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCough remains the most common reason for patients to seek medical attention. We practised a novel diagnostic algorithm for chronic and subacute cough.

methodsChronic and subacute cough patients with normal chest X-ray results and without respiratory tract infections in the preceding eight weeks were recruited. The patients were divided into two groups: Group A, patients with typical symptoms and signs of postnasal drip syndrome (PNDS), asthma syndromes (AS) and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); Group B, patients without the typical symptoms and signs. The two groups received targeted or sequential empirical trials of therapy according to the algorithm.

resultsAmong the 524 patients available for analysis in Groups A and B, 436 (83.6%) were diagnosed to have PNDS (34.2%), AS (44.5%) and/or GERD (10.1%), among which 26 had two causes (6.0%) and 6 had three causes (1.4%). After empirical trials of therapy, 81.5% of the patients were diagnosed. The mean time for diagnosis was considerably shorter in Group A (13.1 ± 5.6 d) than in Group B (23.4 ± 7.2 d) (p < 0.01). The diagnosis rate of the first trial in Group A (54.1%) was significantly higher than that in Group B (28.6%, p < 0.01).

conclusionsThe proposed algorithm is a promising and practical approach to diagnose chronic and subacute cough.

Indexed as

AsthmaCoughDiagnosisGastroesophageal reflux diseasePostnasal drip syndrome

Identifiers

PMID25006456
PMCPMC4086183

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