Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners
-
J Am Acad Nurse Pract · Aug 2009
Practice Guideline Case ReportsChronic cough: Stepwise application in primary care practice of the ACCP guidelines for diagnosis and management of cough.
To illustrate decision points encountered when using evidence-based guidelines for diagnosis and management of chronic cough by means of a composite case study based on primary care practice. ⋯ Cough is the most common reason that patients seek an office visit. Many coughs resolve spontaneously, but coughs that persist significantly impair the quality of life. Use of the ACCP guidelines allows a stepwise empirical approach to the problem of unexplained chronic cough. This approach greatly increases the percentage of chronic coughs that are accurately diagnosed and effectively treated, and avoids unnecessary diagnostic testing.