An Uncommon Cause for a Preschool Child's Chronic Cough

Beverly P. Giordano, MS, RN, CPNP, PMHS; Sanjeev Y. Tuli, MD; Sonal S. Tuli, MD; Karin Reuter-Rice, PhD, CPNP-AC, FCCM; Terea Giannetta, DNP, RN, CPNP

Disclosures

J Pediatr Health Care. 2014;28(3):267-271.

Case Presentation

A 2½-year-old white girl presented to the clinic with a 2-month history of coughing and parent-perceived "wheezing." Her mother reported that the cough had developed after the child underwent a tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy (T & A) for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) 2 months earlier. The cough was described as "wet and not croupy," and it interfered with the child's sleep. She also had activity-induced daytime coughing. The mother had tried "home remedies" (e.g., over-the-counter dextromethorphan preparations and the sibling's nebulized albuterol) and reported that these interventions had little effect on the child's cough.