Self-treatment of acute cough in adults and adolescents older than 12 years.

Acute cough is a frequent symptom accompanying upper respiratory tract infections and acute bronchitis. In order to start self-treatment, a thorough consideration of its suitability is necessary. A systematic algorithm can help pharmacists to do this, and its subconscious automation will help them reliably detect warning signs (red flags) of an acute illness or the inappropriateness of self-treatment in risk groups of patients. The presentation of the practical application of the cough self-treatment algorithm is therefore the main goal of this publication. Although a number of over-the-counter products are available for the symptomatic treatment of cough, their effectiveness in short-term administration for the relief of acute cough is still questionable. However, they are still recommended by experts and often bring patients a feeling of subjective relief. In general, we can summarize that mucoactive drugs are preferred for coughs with a suspected infectious cause and yellow-green sputum production. The amount of sputum in healthy patients with acute bronchitis is minimal and the main benefit is considered to be antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. Antitussives are indicated in the case of a dry non-productive cough, mainly to increase the quality of life during an ongoing infection. Self-treatment of cough can be made significantly more effective by choosing the suitable dosage form, the precise knowledge of which can be considered the domain of pharmacists.