Productive cough question

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  • Specializes in VA, Ortho, Med/Surg. Has 25 years experience.

Hey guys. I work in home health peds and my patient has a productive cough that I can clearly hear, but she swallows it and I never see it. When charting, do I still say she has a productive cough then, or non-prod. being I can't actually see proof of the secretions? Because then it wants to know color and amts etc. What do I put?

Thanks in advance.

Pediatric Critical Care Columnist

NotReady4PrimeTime, RN

16 Articles; 7,358 Posts

Specializes in NICU, PICU, PCVICU and peds oncology. Has 25 years experience.

Absolutely chart it as productive. In the amount, colour, consistency spots you would write "not seen, pt swallowed". I think we all know what a productive cough sounds like, whether we actually see the evidence or not.

didi768

1 Article; 360 Posts

Specializes in VA, Ortho, Med/Surg. Has 25 years experience.

Well that was quick so THANK YOU!!!