Chronic cough: an approach to management.

Management of chronic cough is complex and warrants careful evaluation. Some patients cough for years without help because of the indiscriminate use of antitussive medications. All patients should be evaluated in a specific manner. The cause of cough can be found and effectively treated in almost all patients. Antitussive therapy should only be used as adjuvant therapy or when a cause cannot be found and the patient is not harmed by decreasing the cough. When used, the safest, least expensive antitussive drug should be instituted for a limited time pending re-evaluation of the patient's clinical course.