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Before We Get Started: What Is a Cough?

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Abstract

Cough is an airway defensive reflex consisting of an inspiratory phase followed by a forced expiratory effort initially against a closed glottis, followed by active glottal opening and rapid expiratory flow. The expiration reflex (ER) differentiates from cough for the lack of a preparatory inspiration. The reflexes subserve different functions: cough will clear the lower airways from debris and mucus, while the expiration reflex will prevent aspiration. Clinically, a cough epoch is a sequence of motor acts resulting from a combination of true coughs and ERs that need to be accurately identified and measured for adequate quantitative description.

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Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Prof. John Widdicombe who has inspired many of the concepts presented in this article.

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  1. Department of Critical Care, University of Florence, Viale G. B. Morgagni, 85, Florence, 50134, Italy

    Giovanni A. Fontana

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  1. Giovanni A. Fontana
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Correspondence to Giovanni A. Fontana.

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Fontana, G.A. Before We Get Started: What Is a Cough?. Lung 186 (Suppl 1), 3–6 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-007-9036-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00408-007-9036-8

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