Paciente que consulta por tos

Abstract

Cough is one of the most common reasons for outpatient medical consultation. Most of the time it is self-limiting so doctors tend not to give it much importance. However, cough can be caused by serious pathologies such as cancer, fibrosis and pulmonary tuberculosis. Furthermore, when the cough is intense or prolonged it can cause significant alterations in the quality of life of patients. In this article we will review the main guidelines for diagnosis and treatment of cough, how to suspect serious etiologies, when to define a treatment according to clinical information and when to request tests. Finally, we will discuss two clinical cases in order to illustrate some concepts.