Friday, May 15, 2009

Cough

A child presents to your clinic with chronic cough.

Challenge: What is your presumptive diagnosis for the following presentations?
1) A staccato cough in young infants?
2) A "seal barking" or "brassy" cough?
3) A chronic paroxysmal cough triggered by exercise, cold air, sleep, or allergens in a kid with a rash?
4) A "Canadian goose-like" honking cough that disappears at night?
5) An acute or subacute paroxysmal cough...with an inspiratory whoop?

4 comments:

Steph said...

1) A staccato cough in young infants?
2) A "seal barking" or "brassy" cough? Croup
3) A chronic paroxysmal cough triggered by exercise, cold air, sleep, or allergens in a kid with a rash? Asthma
4) A "Canadian goose-like" honking cough that disappears at night?
5) An acute or subacute paroxysmal cough...with an inspiratory whoop? Whooping cough

Alex said...

1-congenital chlamydia
2-parainfluenza/rsv?
3-asthma
4-
5-pertussis

Alex said...

eletrical alternans =P

Craig said...

Nicely done! I didn't know about the "Canadian goose honk" either. I don't even know what that would sound like.
-
Cough

1) Chlamydia trachomitis.
2) Tracheal problem such as croup (laryngotracheobronchitis), bacterial tracheitis, or foreign body.
3) Asthma.
4) Psychogenic or habitual cough.
5) Pertussis

Source: UpToDate.