止咳祛痰用药守则（Cough and expectorant）.doc

止咳祛痰用药守则（Cough and expectorant） Cough and expectoration are very common in autumn and winter. The following three rules must be observed in the selection of cough and expectorant drugs. Rule 1: recognize the nature of cough and expectoration Coughing is a defensive reflex produced by the stimulation of the respiratory system, which helps clear airway secretions, so the essence of cough is a protective reflex. Normal people seldom cough. Cough with little or no sputum, known as dry cough, is common in inhalation of harmful gases, bronchial asthma, and some anxiety states. Cough accompanied by sputum discharge is called expectoration. Phlegm is the product of respiratory tract inflammation, can stimulate respiratory tract mucous membrane and cause cough, and can aggravate infection. According to the duration of cough, cough can be divided into chronic cough and acute cough. When the cough persists for more than 3 or 3 weeks, and the cough is the only symptom present, there is no history of chronic respiratory disease, and there is no sputum or sputum. This is called chronic cough. When symptoms are not more than 3 weeks, they are called acute cough, usually transient, such as the common cold. Comparatively speaking, the clinical importance of acute cough is less than that of chronic cough, but sometimes acute cough may persist and become chronic cough. Cough of different characteristics often suggests different diseases: * cough often prompts the acute onset of acute respiratory tract infection, cough persists that patients with chronic diseases, especially recurrent cough, in the winter season is an important clue to the diagnosis of chronic bronchitis. * dry cough is common in pharyngitis, inhalation of irritating smoke or foreign bodies, bronchial mass, congestion of the lungs, sinusitis, nasal reflux, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors, gastroesophageal reflux, etc.. * phlegm is indicative of characters for cough, rusty sputum is common in pneumococcal pneum