The results of a study which investigated the underlying causes of chronic cough in children to presenting to a hospital emergency department, have now been published in the journal Archives of Disease in Children.

The study was led by CRE Chief Investigators Dr Kerry-Ann O'Grady and Professor Anne Chang.

The study followed over 800 children for a month after they presented to a hospital emergency department in Brisbane with an acute respiratory illness with cough. It found that 20% of the children had developed a chronic cough one month later, and 1/3 of these children were diagnosed with a new and severe respiratory illlness. The study recommended that children who develop a chronic cough after an acute respiratory illness should have a clinic review, particularly if the parents report a persistent cough in the child.

The findings of the study were widely reported in the media including by Reuters.