• Am. J. Med. Sci. · Oct 2021

    The Multidimensional Cough Index: A Practical Scale to Measure Cough and Sputum.

    • José Baddini-Martinez, Tamiris Chinarelli, Caisa Brunelli Orlandini, Mariane Rocha de Oliveira, Isabela Bricoleri, Victor Cardamoni, and Antonio Luis Rodrigues-Junior.
    • Internal Medicine Department, Medical School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Present Institution, Paulista Medical School, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: baddini.martinez@unifesp.br.
    • Am. J. Med. Sci. 2021 Oct 1; 362 (4): 396-402.

    BackgroundThere currently is a lack of easy-to-use instruments with which to assess cough. The aim of the present study was to develop a scale for measuring the characteristics of cough and sputum.MethodsThe authors developed a scale for assessing cough, including aspects such as intensity, frequency, physical impact, psychosocial impacts and sputum characteristics. The first four components were scored using a Cough Index, with a range of 0 to 20. Sputum information included volume, appearance, and hemoptysis. The scale was administered to 105 patients and re-administered to 51 about two weeks later. The patients also reported cough frequency and intensity using a 100-mm visual analogue scale (VAS) and answered the Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ). Additionally, 12 patients with acute exacerbation (AE) of chronic airways disease were interviewed upon admission to and discharge from the hospital.ResultsAnalysis identified only one factor for the Cough Index, and Cronbach's alpha value was 0.819. Cough Index was significantly correlated with VASfrequency (r = 0.651, p < 0.0001), VASintensity (r = 0.543, p<0.0001), and LCQ (r = -0.824, p < 0.0001). The intraclass correlation coefficient of test-retest scores was 0.779. The median Cough Index significantly decreased after AE treatment, as did the number of patients reporting increased sputum production and greenish and dark sputum. A Cough Index ≥ 4 distinguished respiratory patients from healthy subjects, with a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 85%.ConclusionThe Multidimensional Cough Index condenses complex aspects related to cough and sputum production into a single instrument, with satisfactory validation.Copyright © 2021 Southern Society for Clinical Investigation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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