耳鼻咽喉科外来における小児咳嗽の実態

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Coughing, one of the most common pediatric symptoms seen in the ear, nose, and throat (ENT) clinic is caused by a variety of conditions. We studied the prevalence, cause, and characteristics of coughing in 367 children 11 years old or younger via questionnaires filled out by their parents. All children had been examined by otorhinolaryngologists. According to the questionnaire, 41.1% had coughs when seen at clinic, especially if they had asthma or sinusitis. Coughing was significantly more prevalent in infants under 6 years old than in school-age children. The ratio of respiratory infection was higher and that of sinusitis was lower in infants under 3 years old than in older children. Asthma was more prevalent in school-age children than in infants under 3 years old. In children with coughs, 78.3% of coughing lasted less than two weeks and most cases involved upper respiratory infection. Those with coughs lasting over four weeks accounted for 7.9% of children with coughs and they were caused by asthma, sinusitis, primary ciliary dyskinesia, lower respiratory infection, and psychogenic reasons. In conclusion, 41.1% of children seen at the ENT clinic had coughs mostly due to respiratory infection, including sinusitis. Prolonged coughing, while not prevalent, requires an interdisciplinary approach due to diverse pathogenic problems.