Cough, Cold, and Congestion

Fitzpatrick, Desmond; Rasheed, Hasan

The common cold is a benign, self-limited, acute viral infection with associated symptoms of sneezing, rhinorrhea, nasal congestion, cough, and malaise. It is the most frequent acute illness in the industrialized world. Adults typically have two to three episodes of illness yearly while children can have up to five. The common cold is typically caused by viruses (including rhinovirus, RSV, coronavirus, and others), and often, no infecting organism is detected. Treatment is usually targeted at symptomatic relief. The differential diagnosis for cough, cold, and congestion is broad: ranging from non-emergent causes such as rhinitis to life-threatening illnesses such as pulmonary embolism. Careful assessment is necessary as misidentification can lead to inappropriate discharge of potentially lethal conditions.