Descriptive cross-sectional study assesses small airway disease prevalence in post-viral cough, suggesting oscillometry technique effectiveness.
Key Points
This study aims to determine the prevalence of small airway disease (SAD) in patients with post-viral cough and compare Z-scores and cut-off values for assessment.
Descriptive cross-sectional study at a respiratory center involving patients with post-viral cough from May 2024 to August 2025.
SAD assessed using PulmoScan Oscillometry according to ERS guidelines applying R5-R20 and Z-score measurements.
Statistical analyses conducted using SPSS v30, comparing paired proportions with McNemar’s test and Chi-square tests.
Post-viral cough diagnosed in 48.4% (n = 181), with SAD prevalence at 60.2% using cut-off and only 27.8% using Z-scores (p < 0.001).
SAD observed in 67.1% of acute cough cases and 60.8% in subacute cases (p < 0.05).
FeNO values showed lower results in 86.6% of assessed patients, with no differences based on viral diagnosis, sex, or FeNO.