Chronic Cough News

This week, the CDC reported that breakthrough infections are rare among the first 101 million fully vaccinated people; tai chi is found to be effective to reduce belly fat in older adults; the CDC’s COVID-19 vaccine safety group says its reviewed ‘few’ reports of myocarditis in young people; a follow-up analysis supports tocilizumab in moderate-to-severe COVID-19-associated pneumonia; and lidocaine throat spray reduces cough frequency in patients with refractory chronic cough.

The Healio Editors have compiled a list of the most-read news in pulmonology posted in May.

Lidocaine, delivered as a throat spray to the pharynx, reduced cough frequency in adults with refractory chronic cough, according to data published in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice.

This week, a monoclonal antibody cocktail cut COVID-19 hospitalization and death; removing race correction in lung function tests shows more severe disease in Black patients; gefapixant reduces chronic cough frequency in a large pooled analysis; and more.

Gefapixant 45 mg twice daily resulted in clinically important reductions in cough frequency compared with placebo in patients with refractory or unexplained chronic cough.

The cause of chronic cough remained unexplained in more than one-third of patients 3.5 years after they first presented to a primary care physician for the condition, researchers wrote.

Cough timing, concomitant symptoms associated with gastroesophageal reflux or rhinitis/sinusitis and medical history are useful clinical characteristics that can aid in the prediction of causes of chronic cough, researchers reported.

Endogenous inhibitor control mechanisms, particularly those active through pain, may reduce coughing and urge to cough, researchers reported in the European Respiratory Journal.

The Healio editors have compiled a list of the most-read pulmonology news from the recent virtual European Respiratory Society International Congress.

Treatment with gefapixant, a P2X3 receptor antagonist reduced cough frequency and cough-related quality of life in patients with refractory or unexplained chronic cough, according to results of two phase 3 trials.