Cough objective assessment: a systematic review and meta-analysis

• Grant number: 21/09623-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: November 01, 2021
• End date: October 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Physiotherapy and Occupational Therapy
• Principal Investigator: Ada Clarice Gastaldi
• Grantee: Larisse Sousa Reis
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina de Ribeirão Preto (FMRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The act of coughing is a defense mechanism and pulmonary homeostasis and is a major symptom in many respiratory disorders. The effects of cough on health status are rarely evaluated and recorded in clinical practice. The objective assessment of cough is an essential part of communication between therapists and patients, allowing for a clear assessment of the effectiveness of interventions, especially physiotherapeutic and, related to cough management. Previous studies have demonstrated that this symptom, the cough, when assessed subjectively, did not correlate well with objective counts of cough frequency, inferring that there is a need for the use of objective tools to accurately assess cough. This study aims to gather evidence on tools developed to objectively assess cough. This systematic review will include randomized clinical trials, observational studies, crossover studies that are indexed in PubMed / MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Embase databases and that use tools to objectively evaluate cough. We will also identify studies that are potentially eligible for but have not been published. For the elaboration of this systematic review, we will use the Prisma Statement.(AU)