Recommendations for the assessment and management of cough in children

Step 1 MDS performed a database literature search (Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library and Google Scholar) initially using the terms ''cough'' AND ''child''. Exclusions included non-English language papers and papers on pertussis vaccine development. Also excluded were papers on specific diseases including asthma, cystic fibrosis and pneumonia for which management guidelines have already been published. Abstracts of papers were then reviewed and relevant papers obtained. The relevant studies to the UK population were largely performed in Europe, North America, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.