만성 기침의 진단과 치료 = Diagnosis and management of chronic cough

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

Cough does not occur commonly in healthy people. When present and persistent, cough can assume great clinical importance. Cough is a vital host defense mechanism that serves to protect the lower respiratory tract, and hence the rest of the body, from the intrusions of potentially harmful substances and infectious microorganisms. Cough is also a major complaint of patients with a wide variety of disease. Although most episodes of acute cough are relatively innocent and transient, in some persons, acute cough progresses to chronic cough that may cause distress and constitutes an important reason why patients visit physicians. Cough receptors are located in regions innervated by the vagus nerves, chiefly in the oropharynx, larynx, trachea, and large bronchi. The physiologic mechanism that regulate cough and contribute to its effectiveness are reasonably well known. A highly successful anatomic diagnostic approach to evaluate chronic cough has systemically been developed. Once a diagnosis of a specific underlying cause of cough has been made, specific treatment is likely to be successful.