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Table 2 Prevalences of selected aetiologies, referring to children in consultation for a cough in primary care / paediatric practices sorted by duration of cough

From: Coughing children in family practice and primary care: a systematic review of prevalence, aetiology and prognosis

Study

Study population

Vinson 1993

1398 patients

TRANSITION Okkes 2002

3371 episodes of care

Krishnan 2019

560 consultations

Harnden 2006

172 patients

Movsowitz 1987

256 patients

Duration of cough

Aetiology

acute

all durations of cough

subacute/chronic

≤1 month

≥2 weeks

> 3 weeks

Upper respiratory tract infection

n = 873

62.4% [59.8; 65]

viral: 35% (n = 494)

bacterial: 27% (n = 379)

n = 1294

38.4% [36.7; 40.1]

n = 241

43% [38.9; 47.3]

n.r.

n = 71

27.7% [22.4; 33.7]

(recurrent upper respiratory tract infection including bronchiolitis and bronchopneumonia)

Asthma

n = 129

9.2% [7.8; 10.9}

n = 100

3% [2.4; 3.6]

n = 101

18% [15; 21.5]

n.r.

n = 129

50.4% [44.1; 56.7]

Pertussis

n.r.

n = 34

1% [0.7; 1.4]

n.r.

n = 64

37,2% [30.1; 44.9]

n = 56

21.9% [17.1; 27.5]

Bronchitis / bronchiolitis

n = 465

33.3% [30.8; 35.6]

n = 757

22.5% [21.1; 23.9]

(acute bronchitis / bronchiolitis)

n = 28

5% [3.4; 7.2]

n.r.

n.r.

Pharyngitis

n.r.

n.r.

n = 45

8% [6; 10.7]

n.r.

n.r.

Sinusitis

n.r.

n = 55

1.6% [1.2; 2.1]

n = 45

8% [6; 10.7]

n.r.

n.r.

Laryngitis / tracheitis

n.r.

n = 245

7.3% [6.4; 8.2]

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Croup

n = 30

2.1% [1.5; 3.1]

n.r.

n = 45

8% [6; 10.7%]

n.r.

n.r.

Pneumonia

n = 78

5.6% [4.5; 6.9]

n = 73

2.2% [1.7; 2.7]

n = 39

7% [5.1; 9.5]

n.r.

n.r.

Influenza

n.r.

n = 43

1.3% [0.9; 1.7]

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Otitis

n.r.

n = 42

1.2% [0.9; 1.7]

n = 28

5% [3.4; 7.2]

n.r.

n.r.

Other allergic diseases

n = 52

3.7% [2.8; 4.9]

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Tonsillitis

n.r.

n = 54

1.6% [1.2; 2.1]

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Hypertrophy tonsils / adenoids

n.r.

n = 44

1.3% [1.0; 1.8]

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Tuberculosis

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n = 1

0.4% [0; 2.5]

Bronchiectasis following pertussis

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n = 1

0.4% [0; 2.5]

Persistently atelectatic right middle lobe

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n = 1

0.4% [0; 2.5]

COPD

n.r.

n = 8

0.2% [0.1; 0.5]

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Heart failure

n.r.

n = 0

0% [0; 0.1%]

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

Psychogenic cough

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n = 0

0% [0; 1.8%]

Cystic fibrosis

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n = 0

0% [0; 1.8%]

Foreign body nose / larynx / bronchus

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n.r.

n = 0

0% [0; 1.8%]

  1. Legend: Every cell of table contains the absolute values (n), frequencies (%) and confidence interval [] of the study population with the respective aetiology. COPD = chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, n.r. = not reported