Cough with phlegm, also known as a wet cough. Acute wet coughs are mostly due to infections, commonly bronchitis and pneumonia.
The main cause of chronic wet cough in children aged one year and over is upper airway cough syndrome, while the main cause of chronic wet cough in children under one year is prolonged bacterial bronchitis.
In addition, asthma combined with upper airway cough syndrome or infection, bronchiectasis, prolonged or chronic pneumonia, pertussis and pertussis-like syndrome, tracheobronchial tuberculosis and tracheobronchial foreign bodies can also cause chronic wet cough.
The principles of treatment are
Etiological treatment: The cause should be clearly identified and treated as much as possible; unknown causes can be treated empirically according to the order of common and rare causes.
Anti-infective treatment: Evidence of pathogenic infection may be considered with sensitive antibacterial drugs.
Expectorant therapy: expectorant is the mainstay, cough suppressant is secondary; cough suppressants should not be used in infants.
Anti-inflammatory airway treatment: In the presence of airway inflammation and allergic disease, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic treatment may be an option.
Follow-up and re-evaluation: treatment should be followed up promptly and the diagnosis and treatment should be re-evaluated if there is no significant relief of symptoms.