Clinic Byte: Cough
Source/Author: Marie Confident, School Nurse
November 12, 2015
Coughing is one the most common symptoms that brings students into the clinic, especially when there is a change in the weather. Coughing is the body’s way of clearing secretions or foreign bodies from the respiratory tract. Though coughing is usually caused by viruses, there are very distinct coughs - such a croup or whooping cough - that can frighten parents the first time they hear it. If a cough lasting over 2 weeks with productive green or yellow mucus accompanied by fever, it could be bacterial (i.e. pneumonia, bronchitis) and will require treatment with antibiotics. Children with asthma often have a cough as the first symptom of an asthma attack and they will need to use their inhaler or nebulizer treatment.
A healthy child with a cough and no other symptoms needs to be kept well-hydrated and encouraged to get lots of rest. Cough suppressants are usually not recommended for children unless their sleeping pattern is affected. For older children, parents may consider honey and lemon, a natural remedy that soothes the cough without the potential side effects of OTC medications, or perhaps try a medication that helps loosen the mucus so they can cough it up.
A doctor’s visit is recommended for children with cough lasting over 2 weeks or accompanied by high fever, greenish or yellowish mucus, difficulty breathing etc. Besides listening to their lungs and making sure they are not wheezing or don’t have a fever, I always encourage my students to drink water when they come to the clinic and may offer cough drops if they are older. I also encourage them to practice good coughing etiquette http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/covercough.htm and clean hand hygiene so they won’t spread their germs. If the cough is so persistent that the child is unable to concentrate in school, I will contact the parent for pick up.
As always, I encourage parents to inform the clinic when their child is diagnosed with a contagious illness and to keep their child home until he/she is feeling much better.
Until next time, remain healthy.
Marie Confident, RN, BSN
Shorecrest school nurse
