Global physiology and pathophysiology of cough: Part 1. Cough phenomenology: CHEST Guideline and Expert Panel report

This state-of-the-art review (part 1 of 2) was undertaken to inform the American College of Chest Physicians 2006 guideline on the global physiology and pathophysiology of cough. Among other topics, the assessment of cough using ambulatory cough monitors (eg the Vitalograph VitaloJAK) was covered. The semi-automated VitaloJAK is a spontaneous cough monitor that is effective for assessing cough frequency and cough sound intensity, as a measure of cough strength. According to the authors, "[p]arameters derived from ambulatory cough monitors allow for the assessment of antitussive treatments in more natural environments and may better reflect treatment efficacy".