From the Guidelines
Common pulmonary complaints include cough, dyspnea, chest pain, wheezing, and hemoptysis.
Common Causes of Cough
- Cough is the most common respiratory symptom encountered by clinicians, with asthma, gastroesophageal reflux, and rhinitis with postnasal drip being the most common causes of chronic cough, accounting for up to 95% of cases 1.
- Chronic cough, defined as cough lasting for > 8 weeks, can interfere with patients’ normal daily activities and can pose a diagnostic and therapeutic dilemma to the clinician.
- Other common causes of cough include upper airway disorders, such as vocal cord dysfunction and gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), as well as obstructive lung diseases, such as chronic bronchitis and emphysema 1.
Evaluation and Management
- A thorough diagnostic evaluation is necessary to determine the underlying cause of cough, including a medical history, physical examination, and imaging studies, such as chest roentgenogram and high-resolution CT (HRCT) scan 1.
- Treatment of cough depends on the underlying cause, with empiric treatment often starting with the most common causes, such as UACS, asthma, and GERD 1.
- Smoking cessation is also an important aspect of managing cough, particularly in patients with chronic bronchitis and COPD 1.
From the Research
Common Pulmonary Complaints
- Dyspnea, a subjective experience of breathing discomfort, is a common and challenging complaint associated with a wide variety of adverse clinical outcomes 2
- Chest pain is one of the most frequent symptoms of pulmonary diseases, in addition to dyspnea and cough 3
- Obstructive airway diseases, such as COPD and asthma, are common pulmonary complaints, accounting for 43% of problems in a referral pulmonary clinic 4
- Infective lung diseases, including tuberculosis and bronchogenic carcinoma, are also common pulmonary complaints 4
Specific Pulmonary Complaints
- Chronic cough of undiagnosed etiology is a common complaint, accounting for 6.5% of problems in a referral pulmonary clinic 4
- Haemoptysis of undiagnosed etiology is another common complaint, accounting for 4.5% of problems in a referral pulmonary clinic 4
- Pleural diseases, such as pleurisy, are also common pulmonary complaints, and can be characterized by acute chest pain 3
Pulmonary Complaints in Specific Populations
- Adults with congenital heart disease are at risk of developing pulmonary diseases, which are the most common systemic complications associated with this condition 5
- These individuals may present to clinics or emergency departments with pulmonary complaints, such as dyspnea and chest pain, and require early recognition and treatment to reduce morbidity 5