Acute Cough Triage in Children

Acute Cough Triage in Children

Aka: Acute Cough Triage in Children

II. Indications: Immediate Clinical Evaluation

  1. Dyspnea (Not due to stuffy nose)
    1. Pneumonia
  2. Cyanosis with coughing spasms
    1. Bacterial Tracheitis
    2. Acute Bronchiolitis
    3. Pertussis (is child immunized?)
  3. Apneic episodes
  4. Hemoptysis
    1. Pneumonia
    2. Bacterial Tracheitis
  5. Suspected airway Foreign Body Aspiration

III. Indications: Acute clinical evaluation

  1. Age <3 months old
    1. Pneumonia
  2. Fever for 72 hours
    1. Pneumonia
  3. Cough Duration >3 weeks
    1. Asthma
    2. Foreign Body Aspiration
    3. Tuberculosis
  4. Awakening more than twice each night
  5. Vomiting more than twice daily

IV. Indications: Additional for acute evaluation age >4 years

  1. Productive Cough of Yellow or Green mucus for >12 hours
    1. Pneumonia
    2. Superinfected Bronchitis
  2. Chest Pain
  3. School absence >2 days

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