ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic value of bronchial provocation test in patients with chronic cough.
MethodsA total of 550 chronic cough patients were selected in the 452nd Military Hospital from March 2011 to February 2012. These patients all underwent the basic lung function test and the bronchial provocation test (BPT) to acetylcholine so as to assess the bronchial hyper-reactivity by inhaling methacholine. The diagnostic value of BPT was then evaluated.
ResultsAll included patients had normal lung function. There were 267 patients (48.5%) who showed positive results in BPT, of whom, 236 BPT-positive patients were finally diagnosed as cough variant asthma. After regular treatment, the cough symptoms were well controlled.
ConclusionCough variant asthma is one of the main causes of chronic cough. The BPT is an important method of aiding the diagnosis of cough variant asthma which helps early diagnosis of it.
