Severity grading of the Leicester Cough Questionnaire in chronic cough

Chronic cough can cause a considerable impairment in the cough-related quality of life (QoL) 1. Its severity is associated with subjects' willingness to seek medical attention 2, 3. Leicester Cough Questionnaire (LCQ) is a validated measure of QoL 1. It is incorporated extensively in research but less utilized in everyday clinical work. The clinical use of any measure necessitates the definition of a reference range for values considered as normal, and a valid grading of severity for abnormal values. Footnotes This manuscript has recently been accepted for publication in the ERJ Open Research . It is published here in its accepted form prior to copyediting and typesetting by our production team. After these production processes are complete and the authors have approved the resulting proofs, the article will move to the latest issue of the ERJOR online. Please open or download the PDF to view this article. Conflict of interest: Heikki Koskela reports support for the present manuscript from Kuopion Seudun Hengityssäätiö, Hengityssairauksien tutkimussäätiö. Payment for lectures from Boehringer Ingelheim Ltd, MSD Ltd, Chiesi Pharma Ltd, outside the submitted work; Stock ownership of Orion Ltd, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: Anne Lätti reports support for the present manuscript from Kuopion Seudun Hengityssäätiö, Hengityssairauksien tutkimussäätiö, KYS:n tutkimussäätiö, Suomen Tuberkuloosin Vastustamisyhdistyksen säätiö sr, Väinö ja Laina Kiven Säätiö. Payment or honoraria for lectures, presentations, speakers bureaus, manuscript writing or educational events for Farmasian oppimiskeskus / Pharmaceutical Learning Centre, GlaxoSmithKline, Chiesi, MSD, AstraZeneca, Hengitysliitto, outside the submitted work; Support for attending a scientific meeting from Novartis, Boehringer Ingelheim, Chiesi, outside the submitted work. Conflict of interest: Johanna Kaulamo reports support for the present manuscript from Foundation of the Finnish Anti-Tuberculosis Association/ Suomen Tuberkuloosin vastustamisyhdistyksen Säätiö, Kuopio area Respiratory Foundation/Kuopion Seudun Hengityssäätiö, The research Foundation of the Pulmonary diseases/Hengityssairauksien tutkimussäätiö, Väinö and Laina Kivi Foundation/Väinö ja Laina Kiven Säätiö, Suomen Kulttuurirahasto/The Finnish Cultural Foundation.