Acute cough (<3 weeks in duration) generally does not require pharmacologic treatment, especially in children. Suppression of productive cough may be harmful. Management of patients with cough should include elimination of any precipitating factor (e.g., cigarette smoking) and treatment of any underlying cause such as upper airway cough syndrome, gastroesophageal reflux disease, asthma, or other pulmonary disease.

An FDA panel has recommended that stronger warnings about hepatotoxicity be added to the labeling for acetaminophen (www.fda.gov, search "acetaminophen hepatotoxicity").