The secondary aim was to assess the ability of the saline test to monitor the healing of cough during corticosteroid treatment.
Monitoring the development of chronic cough (i.e. > 4 week's duration) is therefore a key secondary endpoint given its role as an indicator of lower airways disease.
The study by Chen and co-workers described a system to monitor and analyze the cough responses in unanesthetized and unrestrained mice based upon a computer analysis of the sound signals recorded (Chen L, Lomask J, Lai K, Jiang B, and Zhong N. Detection of mouse cough based on sound monitoring).
However we wonder if the idea of recording and analysing acoustic signals to monitor a single cough or cough episode should not be abandoned.
Working with the Department of Health we are continuing to carefully monitor whooping cough activity to evaluate the success of the programme.
This study underscores the lack of knowledge about one of the commonest symptoms in respiratory disease, the need for new techniques to measure and monitor cough, and to determine whether objective cough sound characteristics are useful.
In the treatment of cough related diseases, cough severity is an essential factor in monitoring the progression of diseases.
No objective assessment of muscular or cough strength was performed at any time, neither was monitored the RR Vt, vital capacity or inspiratory pressure.
Consequently, a staff member monitored the patients during the first 2 h of the test and registered time and number of coughs and throat clearing.
