Table 1.
Routine diagnostic tests performed to study patients with chronic cough by the different specialties following or not following guidelines or protocols. Percentages who scored from 8 to 10 (indicating the highest frequency of test indication).
| Percentages who scored from 8 to 10a |
|||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Family physicians (n = 620) Using guidelines/protocols? |
Pulmonologists (n = 92) Using guidelines/protocols? |
Allergists (n = 62) Using guidelines/protocols? |
|||||||
| Yes (n = 322) |
No (n = 298) |
p | Yes (n = 81) |
No (n = 11) |
p | Yes (n = 36) |
No (n = 26) |
p | |
| Thorax radiography | 68.0 | 71.5 | 0.348 | 95.1 | 100.0 | 0.451 | 52.8 | 46.2 | 0.607 |
| Simple spirometry | 40.7 | 34.6 | 0.116 | 79.0 | 100.0 | 0.092 | 91.7 | 84.6 | 0.387 |
| Bronchodilation test | 52.2 | 48.0 | 0.297 | 95.1 | 90.0 | 0.569 | 86.1 | 80.8 | 0.573 |
| Methacholine test | 1.6 | 0.7 | 0.299 | 14.8 | 9.1 | 0.609 | 25.0 | 23.1 | 0.861 |
| FeNO | 1.9 | 0.3 | 0.072 | 46.9 | 45.5 | 0.927 | 61.1 | 50.0 | 0.384 |
| Capsaicin test | 1.2 | 0.3 | 0.207 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 0.711 | 2.8 | 0.0 | 0.392 |
| Blood count | 55.9 | 43.6 | 0.002 | 56.8 | 18.2 | 0.016 | 55.6 | 42.3 | 0.303 |
| Total IgE measurement | 37.3 | 26.2 | 0.003 | 51.9 | 27.3 | 0.126 | 69.4 | 42.3 | 0.033 |
| Specific IgE | 22.4 | 13.8 | 0.006 | 23.5 | 18.2 | 0.696 | 61.1 | 34.6 | 0.039 |
| Chlamydia/Mycoplasma serology | 5.6 | 2.0 | 0.021 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.598 | 11.1 | 3.8 | 0.300 |
| Oesophageal pH test | 4.3 | 1.0 | 0.011 | 6.2 | 0.0 | 0.397 | 13.9 | 3.8 | 0.187 |
a
Frequency of diagnostic tests performed were score between 1 = never and 10 = always. The same score could be applied to different diagnostic tests. FeNO: Fractional exhaled nitric oxide.