PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Rachel Harding
AU  - Sarah Chamberlain
AU  - Swapna Mandal
AU  - Nicholas Hart
AU  - Rachel Garrod
AU  - Surinder Birring
TI  - A comparison of patients with chronic cough referred to a specialist cough and a general respiratory clinic
DP  - 2013 Sep 01
TA  - European Respiratory Journal
PG  - P2186
VI  - 42
IP  - Suppl 57
4099  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P2186.short
4100  - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/42/Suppl_57/P2186.full
SO  - Eur Respir J2013 Sep 01; 42
AB  - Introduction;The clinical characteristics of patients referred to specialist cough clinics (SCC) are likely to differ to those attending general respiratory clinics (GRC). The aim of this study was to compare the demographics, investigations and diagnoses of patients referred to SCC and GRC.Methods;Hospital records were screened for consecutive patients attending clinic between February and May 2012. Duration of cough, number of clinic visits, investigations performed and diagnosis on discharge were recorded.Results;The mean age of patients attending SCC and GCC was 55(15) vs. 50(16) years (p=0.15).67% were female in SCC compared to 58% in GRC (p=0.24).15% of patients were current smokers in GRC clinic compared to 0% in SCC (p<0.0001).Patients that attended the SCC had a longer duration of cough (median 104 vs. 18 weeks, p<0.0001).91% of patients were referred by their GP to the GRC clinic compared to 90% in SCC (p=0.99).The most common diagnoses for GRC and SCC were post viral and idiopathic cough respectively.The prevalence of gastro-oesophageal-cough was low in both clinics. Patients attended fewer clinics at the SCC; 2.3 vs. 3.1 visits, p=0.003).Conclusion;This study demonstrates that patients attending a general clinic are more likely to be smokers and have a post-viral chronic cough. SCC patients have a longer duration of cough and are more likely to be unexplained following investigation.