Chronic Cough: Emerging Developments in the Therapeutic Landscape

Target Audience
The intended audience for this activity is otolaryngologists, allergists, pulmonologists, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and other health care professionals involved in the management of patients with chronic cough.

Program Overview
Chronic cough"a cough lasting more than 8 weeks"impacts as much as 13% of the US population. It may be associated with a wide array of pulmonary or extrapulmonary conditions, and 70% of patients with this condition have at least 3 clinical encounters before an accurate determination of the etiology is made. More than half of patients who receive conventional treatment report that their symptoms remain uncontrolled, significantly affecting their daily activities and quality of life. With new agents on the horizon for managing unexplained and refractory chronic cough, it is vital that clinicians are poised to identify patients who may benefit from emerging therapies. In this educational symposium, featuring a Rapid-Fire Roundtable discussion, interdisciplinary experts will discuss the health and economic burden of chronic cough as well as its significant impact on patient quality of life. Faculty will review strategies for identifying the underlying causes, recommended approaches for empiric treatment, and clinical evidence on current and emerging therapies in this therapeutic landscape.

Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this activity, participants should be better able to:

Assess the burden of chronic cough, including both health-related and economic burdens as well as quality-of-life considerations.
Evaluate evidence-based strategies to recognize patients with chronic cough and identify the underlying causes of the condition.
Summarize clinical evidence for the current and emerging therapies for chronic cough.