Cough in children: prevalence and significance in outpatient practice. Safety of the ambroxol molecule as a basis for choice of treatment

Abstract

An analytical review was conducted in search engines PubMed, MedLine, Google Scholar, Web of Science, BioMed Central, The Cochrane Library, the specialized registry of the Cochrane group for acute respiratory infections, on the websites of relevant associations and respiratory societies of different countries on the problem of cough in outpatient practice; features of this phenomenon in children were reviewed. Assessment of the prevalence of cough according to literature search varies significantly depending on the questions used to evaluate it. Urgency of the cough problem is considered from the point of view of both the occurrence of this syndrome in the structure of patients’ visits and the need for medical consultations by primary care physicians, and the impaired quality of life of patients, families, its socio-economic significance. An analysis of the recommendations of the relevant associations and respiratory communities on the issue of cough and its management at the outpatient stage is carried out. It is shown that the existing recommendations in pediatrics differ from those for adult patients. A review of the literature available in search engines showed that the use of algorithms and standards for managing patients with cough leads to earlier diagnosis and improved clinical results, such as reducing the duration of cough and improving the quality of life of patients, including children. A discussion was held of the dilemma of treating or not treating cough from the point of view of not only evidence-based medicine, but also taking into account parents’ surveys of how prepared the patients are, relatively speaking, to do almost nothing when cough develops in children. The evidence base on the efficacy and safety of administering ambroxol as the most commonly used drug from the over-the-counter group in children with respiratory tract infections, and the results of studies confirming the possibility of its use in cough in pediatric practice are presented.

Keywords

• cough
• children
• treatment
• ambroxol