Characterization and clinical outcomes of outpatients with subacute or chronic post COVID-19 cough: a real-world study

DOI record: { "DOI": "10.7717/peerj.18705", "ISSN": [ "2167-8359" ], "URL": "http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.18705", "abstract": "<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>Background</jats:title>\n<jats:p>Limited research exists on the features and management of post-COVID cough. This real-world study investigates outpatients with subacute or chronic post-COVID cough, aiming to delineate characteristics and regimen responses within the population.</jats:p>\n</jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>Method</jats:title>\n<jats:p>We enrolled eligible patients from our outpatient unit between August 2023 and February 2024. Comprehensive clinical data, prescriptions, and patient-reported cough severity were collected during the primary visit and subsequent follow-ups.</jats:p>\n</jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>Result</jats:title>\n<jats:p>A total of 141 patients, aged: 42 ± 14 years old, were included, with 70% being female. The median cough duration was 8 weeks (interquartile range 4–12 weeks). Sixty percent presented with a dry cough, while the rest had coughs with phlegm. Over half reported abnormal laryngeal sensations (54%). Twenty-one percent coughed during the day, while 32% coughed constantly, and 48% experienced nocturnal episodes. Compound methoxyphenamine capsules were the most prescribed, but our study found ICS/LABA to be the most effective, followed by compound methoxyphenamine capsules, montelukast, and Chinese patent drugs.</jats:p>\n</jats:sec>\n<jats:sec>\n<jats:title>Conclusion</jats:title>\n<jats:p>Females exhibit a higher prevalence of post-COVID cough, and our study recommends ICS/LABA as the preferred treatment. These findings warrant validation through larger, prospectively designed studies.</jats:p>\n</jats:sec>", "alternative-id": [ "10.7717/peerj.18705" ], "article-number": "e18705", "author": [ { "affiliation": [], "family": "Yao", "given": "Chun", "sequence": "first" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Cheng", "given": "Dongliang", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Yang", "given": "Wenhong", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Guo", "given": "Yun", "sequence": "additional" }, { "affiliation": [], "family": "Zhou", "given": "Tong", "sequence": "additional" } ], "container-title": "PeerJ", "content-domain": { "crossmark-restriction": false, "domain": [] }, "created": { "date-parts": [ [ 2024, 12, 11 ] ], "date-time": "2024-12-11T09:05:33Z", "timestamp": 1733907933000 }, "deposited": { "date-parts": [ [ 2024, 12, 11 ] ], "date-time": "2024-12-11T09:05:46Z", "timestamp": 1733907946000 }, "funder": [ { "DOI": "10.13039/501100014358", "award": [ "XKTJ-XK202007" ], "doi-asserted-by": "crossref", "id": [ { "asserted-by": "crossref", "id": "10.13039/501100014358", "id-type": "DOI" } ], "name": "Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University" }, { "DOI": "10.13039/501100018556", "award": [ "SKY2021006" ], "doi-asserted-by": "crossref", "id": [ { "asserted-by": "crossref", "id": "10.13039/501100018556", "id-type": "DOI" } ], "name": "Science and Technology Program of Suzhou" } ], "indexed": { "date-parts": [ [ 2024, 12, 12 ] ], "date-time": "2024-12-12T05:29:04Z", "timestamp": 1733981344700, "version": "3.30.2" }, "is-referenced-by-count": 0, "issued": { "date-parts": [ [ 2024, 12, 11 ] ] }, "language": "en", "license": [ { "URL": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/", "content-version": "unspecified", "delay-in-days": 0, "start": { "date-parts": [ [ 2024, 12, 11 ] ], "date-time": "2024-12-11T00:00:00Z", "timestamp": 1733875200000 } } ], "link": [ { "URL": "https://peerj.com/articles/18705.pdf", "content-type": "application/pdf", "content-version": "vor", "intended-application": "text-mining" }, { "URL": "https://peerj.com/articles/18705.xml", "content-type": "application/xml", "content-version": "vor", "intended-application": "text-mining" }, { "URL": "https://peerj.com/articles/18705.html", "content-type": "text/html", "content-version": "vor", "intended-application": "text-mining" }, { "URL": "https://peerj.com/articles/18705.pdf", "content-type": "unspecified", "content-version": "vor", "intended-application": "similarity-checking" } ], "member": "4443", "original-title": [], "page": "e18705", "prefix": "10.7717", "published": { "date-parts": [ [ 2024, 12, 11 ] ] }, "published-online": { "date-parts": [ [ 2024, 12, 11 ] ] }, "publisher": "PeerJ", "reference": [ { "DOI": "10.3760/cma.j.cn112147-20230109-00010", "article-title": "Expert consensus on the diagnosis and treatment of SARS-CoV-2-associated cough", "author": "Branch", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "217", "journal-title": "Chinese Journal of Tuberculosis and Respiratory Diseases", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-1", "volume": "46", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1378/chest.14-1481", "article-title": "Anatomy and neurophysiology of cough: CHEST guideline and expert panel report", "author": "Canning", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "1633", "issue": "6", "journal-title": "Chest", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-2", "volume": "146", "year": "2014" }, { "DOI": "10.1371/journal.pone.0294780", "article-title": "Association between long COVID and vaccination: a 12-month follow-up study in a low- to middle-income country", "author": "Fatima", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "e294780", "issue": "11", "journal-title": "PLOS ONE", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-3", "volume": "18", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.3138/jammi-2022-0026", "article-title": "Prevalence of persistent symptoms at least 1 month after SARS-CoV-2 Omicron infection in adults", "author": "Gallant", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "57", "issue": "1", "journal-title": "Journal of the Association of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease Canada", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-4", "volume": "8", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1371/journal.pone.0283758", "article-title": "Chronic cough in post-COVID syndrome: laryngeal electromyography findings in vagus nerve neuropathy", "author": "García-Vicente", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "e283758", "issue": "3", "journal-title": "PLOS ONE", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-5", "volume": "18", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1080/02770903.2022.2139719", "article-title": "Bronchodilator reversibility testing in long-term cough and dyspnea after COVID-19 viral infection: a trigger for asthma?", "author": "Gencer", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "1221", "issue": "6", "journal-title": "Journal of Asthma", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-6", "volume": "60", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/j.eclinm.2023.102107", "article-title": "Clinical phenotypes and quality of life to define post-COVID-19 syndrome: a cluster analysis of the multinational, prospective ORCHESTRA cohort", "author": "Gentilotti", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "102107", "issue": "163", "journal-title": "EClinicalMedicine", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-7", "volume": "62", "year": "2023" }, { "article-title": "Global strategy for asthma management and prevention, 2023", "author": "Global Initiative for Asthma", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-8", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1371/journal.pone.0271385", "article-title": "Vaccination status, favipiravir, and micronutrient supplementation roles in post-COVID symptoms: a longitudinal study", "author": "Herman", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "e271385", "issue": "7", "journal-title": "PLOS ONE", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-9", "volume": "17", "year": "2022" }, { "DOI": "10.1111/jocn.16652", "article-title": "Long-term health consequences of COVID-19 in survivors hospitalised at a tertiary care hospital and their correlation with acute COVID-19 severity and associated risk factors", "author": "Jain", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "115", "issue": "1", "journal-title": "Journal of Clinical Nursing", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-10", "volume": "33", "year": "2024" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/j.resinv.2024.01.003", "article-title": "Relevant factors associated with the development of chronic cough after recovery from COVID-19", "author": "Kanemitsu", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "269", "issue": "2", "journal-title": "Respiratory Investigation", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-11", "volume": "62", "year": "2024" }, { "DOI": "10.1007/s10389-022-01802-3", "article-title": "Post-COVID-19 syndrome: nature of symptoms and associated factors", "author": "Mahmoud", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "1", "journal-title": "Journal of Public Health-Heidelberg", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-12", "volume": "3", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/S2213-2600(22)00404-0", "article-title": "Chronic cough and cough hypersensitivity: from mechanistic insights to novel antitussives", "author": "Mazzone", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "1113", "issue": "12", "journal-title": "Lancet Respiratory Medicine", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-13", "volume": "10", "year": "2022" }, { "DOI": "10.3390/ijms23084275", "article-title": "Dissecting the molecular mechanisms surrounding post-COVID-19 syndrome and neurological features", "author": "Mohamed", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "4275", "issue": "8", "journal-title": "International Journal of Molecular Sciences", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-14", "volume": "23", "year": "2022" }, { "DOI": "10.1183/13993003.01136-2019", "article-title": "ERS guidelines on the diagnosis and treatment of chronic cough in adults and children", "author": "Morice", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "1901136", "issue": "1", "journal-title": "European Respiratory Journal", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-15", "volume": "55", "year": "2020" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/j.puhe.2023.01.008", "article-title": "Epidemiology of post-COVID conditions beyond 1 year: a cross-sectional study", "author": "Morioka", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "39", "journal-title": "Public Health", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-16", "volume": "216", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104572", "article-title": "COVID-19 cough classification using machine learning and global smartphone recordings", "author": "Pahar", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "104572", "journal-title": "Computers in Biology and Medicine", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-17", "volume": "135", "year": "2021" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.105153", "article-title": "COVID-19 detection in cough, breath and speech using deep transfer learning and bottleneck features", "author": "Pahar", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "105153", "journal-title": "Computers in Biology and Medicine", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-18", "volume": "141", "year": "2022" }, { "author": "R Core Team", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-19", "volume-title": "R: a language and environment for statistical computing", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1111/jocn.16471", "article-title": "Persistent symptoms among post-COVID-19 survivors: a systematic review and meta-analysis", "author": "Rochmawati", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "29", "issue": "1", "journal-title": "Journal of Clinical Nursing", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-20", "volume": "33", "year": "2024" }, { "DOI": "10.7759/cureus.46007", "article-title": "Prevalence and determinants of long COVID among patients attending the outpatient department of a subdistrict hospital in Haryana", "author": "Salve", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "e46007", "journal-title": "Cureus Journal of Medical Science", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-21", "volume": "15", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1186/s12879-023-08947-w", "article-title": "Analysis of influencing factors on long COVID in COVID-19 patients infected with omicron variant three months after discharge: a cross-sectional study", "author": "Shang", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "36", "journal-title": "BMC Infectious Diseases", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-22", "volume": "24", "year": "2024" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/S2213-2600(21)00125-9", "article-title": "Confronting COVID-19-associated cough and the post-COVID syndrome: role of viral neurotropism, neuroinflammation, and neuroimmune responses", "author": "Song", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "533", "issue": "5", "journal-title": "Lancet Respiratory Medicine", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-23", "volume": "9", "year": "2021" }, { "DOI": "10.7326/0003-4819-147-8-200710160-00010", "article-title": "The strengthening the reporting of observational studies in epidemiology (STROBE) statement: guidelines for reporting observational studies", "author": "von Elm", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "573", "issue": "8", "journal-title": "Annals of Internal Medicine", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-24", "volume": "147", "year": "2007" }, { "DOI": "10.7717/peerj.14742", "article-title": "Long COVID active case detection initiative among COVID-19 patients in Port Dickson, Malaysia: a retrospective study on the positive outcomes, the proportion of patients with long COVID and its associated factors", "author": "Wan", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "e14742", "issue": "4", "journal-title": "PeerJ", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-25", "volume": "11", "year": "2023" }, { "DOI": "10.1016/S2213-2600(13)70245-5", "article-title": "Montelukast for postinfectious cough in adults: a double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial", "author": "Wang", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "35", "issue": "1", "journal-title": "Lancet Respiratory Medicine", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-26", "volume": "2", "year": "2014" }, { "article-title": "Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic", "author": "World Health Organization (WHO)", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-27", "year": "2024a" }, { "article-title": "COVID-19 dashboard", "author": "World Health Organization (WHO)", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-28", "year": "2024b" }, { "DOI": "10.3969/j.issn.1674-3911.2011.06.005", "article-title": "A multicenter study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of compound methoxyphenamine in the treatment of postinfectious cough", "author": "Zhou", "doi-asserted-by": "publisher", "first-page": "407", "issue": "6", "journal-title": "Chinese Journal of Asthma", "key": "10.7717/peerj.18705/ref-29", "volume": "5", "year": "2011" } ], "reference-count": 29, "references-count": 29, "relation": {}, "resource": { "primary": { "URL": "https://peerj.com/articles/18705" } }, "score": 1, "short-title": [], "source": "Crossref", "subject": [], "subtitle": [], "title": "Characterization and clinical outcomes of outpatients with subacute or chronic post COVID-19 cough: a real-world study", "type": "journal-article", "volume": "12" }