Analysis of Cough Factors and Quality of Life Score Among Children With Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis: Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND

Protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB) is a leading cause of chronic wet cough in children. Misdiagnosis and inadequate treatment may lead to the progression of diseases.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this paper was to analyze factors influencing the cough duration prior to the diagnosis and assess health-related quality of life in children with PBB.

METHODS

Children diagnosed with PBB in the Qilu Hospital of Shandong University from November 2021 to November 2022 were included in this study. Clinical data were collected; parents completed the Parent-Proxy Cough-Specific Quality of Life (PC-QOL) questionnaire and the simplified Cough Symptom Score. Children aged 6 years and older completed the Leicester Cough Questionnaire in Mandarin-Chinese (LCQ-MC).

RESULTS

As of November 2022, we enrolled 88 patients. Place of residence (B=9.35, 95% CI 0.36-18.35; P=.04) and rest status during the coughing episode (B=7.87, 95% CI 0.36-15.38; P=.04) were significantly associated with cough duration prior to the diagnosis. PC-QOL scores (physical: mean 3.10, SD 1.36; psychological: mean 3.32, SD 1.57; social: mean 3.67, SD 1.53; total: mean 10.09, SD 4.21) showed physical-social differences (t174=-2.58, P=.01). PC-QOL posttreatment scores were significantly higher than pretreatment scores (physical: t18=-6.05, P<.001; psychological: t18=-4.42, P<.001; social: t18=-4.79, P<.001; total: t18=-5.25, P<.001). However, the scores of each PC-QOL domain were significantly lower than those of the LCQ-MC (physical: t34=8.31, P<.001; psychological: t34=6.58, P<.001; social: t34=5.09, P<.001; total: t34=8.11, P<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

Place of residence and rest status during the coughing episode were significantly associated with cough duration prior to the diagnosis. Furthermore, PBB significantly reduces quality of life in physical, psychological, and social aspects.