DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Dry cough

Why: to establish if acute or chronic i.e. chronic cough is a cough that has been present and not improving for more than 4 weeks.

Why: a dry cough is a non-productive cough without producing sputum. Many respiratory infections start out as a dry cough, and then become a wet_cough or productive cough as the lungs start to produce more sputum. Some types of chronic_cough or severe_cough may remain a dry cough, or become a persistent dry cough.

Why: e.g. paroxysmal with whoops suggest whooping cough, painful cough may suggest left ventricular heart failure, weak cough may suggest lung cancer, bovine (no power to cough) suggests vocal cord paralysis.

Why: e.g. cough at night may suggest asthma, left ventricular failure, postnasal drip, whooping cough; cough on waking may suggest gastro-esophageal reflux.

Why: e.g. esophageal diverticulum, tracheo-esophageal fistula.

Why: Left ventricular failure may be due to heart attack, cardiomyopathy, hypertension, valvular heart disease secondary to previous rheumatic fever.

Why: e.g. ACE inhibitor blood pressure medications are well known to cause a cough.

Why: e.g. asthma; anyone in family had a recent acute dry cough (may suggest a contagious source).

Why: past and present? - increases the risk of emphysema, chronic bronchitis, lung cancer, larynx cancer.

Why: pollutant irritation may cause dry cough.

Why: e.g. exposure to asbestos; miners exposure to coal dust or silica; aircraft makers and shipbuilders exposure to berylliosis and asbestosis; farmers exposure to bacteria in hay and causing "farmer's lung"; pigeon breeders exposed to protein from bird feathers and excreta causing "bird fancier's lung".

Why: more likely to suggest asthma as cause of dry cough.

Why: may suggest asthma, pulmonary fibrosis, left ventricular failure and lung cancer.

Why: may suggest gastro-esophageal reflux as cause of chronic cough.

Why: may suggest lung cancer, laryngeal cancer.

Why: may suggest left ventricular heart failure.

Why: may suggest whooping cough, foreign body, cancer of the larynx, cancer of the trachea.

Why: may suggest upper respiratory tract infection, influenza, pneumonia, croup, measles, whooping cough, Legionaire's disease, Lassa fever, bronchiolitis.