Protracted Bacterial Bronchitis in Children

Cough is the most common symptom for presentation to primary care physicians [1, 2]. In children, chronic cough, defined as cough lasting >4 weeks, is associated with considerable morbidity [3] as it can be detrimental to children’s sleep, their ability to play, and their school performance. Chronic cough may also disrupt the child’s parents, as it causes significant worries, concerns, and stress, that is, causes a substantial burden [4]. A number of studies reported a high number of doctor consultations, unnecessary investigations, and medications associated with misdiagnosis or late diagnosis of etiologies causing chronic cough such as protracted bacterial bronchitis (PBB). Donelly et al. [5] reported that 59% of 81 children with PBB were taking asthma treatments at the time of referral. Also, chronic cough is associated with decreased quality of life (QoL) scores. Generic health-related (PedsQL) and chronic cough-specific (PC-QoL) QoL scores of children with PBB were similar to those in children from other diagnostic groups (asthma and bronchiectasis) at the first presentation and normalized when the cough resolved [6–8].