CKS is no longer commissioned by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). NICE remains committed to providing a replacement service for CKS and is currently reviewing its options. In the meantime, although CKS content is now not being maintained, it still remains relevant and will continue to be made available. CKS content was generated under a programme of topic creation and update. To check if the topic you are viewing is current or out of date, please refer to the topic publication details by clicking on the 'How up-to-date is this topic?' link in the left hand menu on individual topic pages.
Palliative cancer care - cough - Management
How should I manage a moist cough in palliative care?
- Treat infection, if present, with an appropriate antibiotic.
- In people with an effective cough mechanism and tenacious secretions — use nebulized saline solution (physiotherapy in addition may be of benefit), or a mucolytic.
- In people with a dry mouth — humidifying the air or oxygen (if needed).
- If a person is at the terminal stage of life and unable to expectorate, consider drying of secretions (see the CKS topic on Palliative cancer care - secretions), or using morphine as a cough suppressant.
In depth
© NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement