Is no cough good or bad?

[Aboveallislove]

So DS had both a CF and an asthama excerbation after catching RSV. We we in hospital from Wednesday to Monday on IV antibiotics and home the finish course. His FEV was down to less than 60% but back to 77% before we left. He is complete recovered from the surface. I am waiting another day to do FEV. But what I'm confused on is cough. He isn't coughing AT ALL. When sick he had a nasty cough and could barely breath Hypersal without producing a cough. But he has less cough now than before being sick. Now is that good and the result of the meds beating down the staph he cultured since two weeks old, sometimes numerous? Or bad meaning the mucus produced was so thick it is stuck and he can't even cough it. Even dep breaths of hyper sal have no effect. Thanks and hanks o everyone who helped me think through my questions or silently prayed for us.
higs and prayers
love

 

[Rebjane]

It sounds like his is improving. Perhaps the antibiotics knocked back the extra irritation and mucus. As well as the steroid opening stuff up and decreasing inflammation. Keep it up with the nebs and airway clearance. Maybe there is nothing to cough up at this point. Which is a good thing. Glad things are going in the right direction.

 

[Ratatosk]

Could be too that in addition to the inflammation being reduced that stuff was coming from his sinuses making him cough and that he doesn't have anything to cough up. Ds on a normal day has nothing to cough up and during exacerbations and colds, he tended to wheeze and his cough sounded more bronchial or "throaty". And of course we'd continue with extra beatments and focus on the problem areas with manual cpt if there were any.

 

[kenna2]

I agree with the nothing to cough up. I wasn't able to cough anything up until I got into my 20's. When I got sick I would have bad dry hacking coughs but would never bring anything up.

 

[Aboveallislove]

Thanks all! I asked nurse when following up on the PICC line remove in a couple weeks and she said the doctor thought it was likely because he's never really been on antibiotics (only once at 3 months) and is likely just hitting down the stuff that was lingering there
, and of course your points re the predonisone (sp?). I did his FEV this am and he blew a 1.41 which has him at 101% for FEV. Utterly amazing to me how he could go from .67 or whatever to that in a week's time. And I'm finally getting the hang of the infusions.