During the winter, coldrelated cough is increasingly common as respiratory germs spread easily. Avoiding the spread of germs is the first step to staying healthy. Remember to practice frequent hand washing, avoid contact with people affected with cold and flu, and use a germ-killing disinfectant to clean surfaces.

Cough control is important for good personal and public health. According to the Centers for Disease Control, many serious respiratory illnesses can be spread through coughing. Severe cough may also interfere with a patient's daily life, affecting everything from sleep to physical activities to mental alertness.

While there is no cure for the common cold, selecting the right therapy is important. The choices for controlling cough are more limited following recent Food and Drug Administration action to remove more than 200 prescription cough medicines containing hydrocodone from the market because of reports about medication errors and confusion over naming.

Questions and answers about the FDA's enforcement action regarding unapproved hydrocodone drug products are available at www.fda.gov.

A recent study, "Accuracy of oral liquid measuring devices: Comparison of dosing cup and oral dosing syringe," published in 2008 in The Annals of Pharmacotherapy, also highlights concerns about accurate dosing. The study, conducted by P. Sobhani, J. Christopherson, P.J. Ambrose and R.L. Corelli, found that 85 percent of caregivers measured an excessive dose of liquid medication when using a dosing cup; only 4 percent measured an accurate dose with the cup.

This story provided by North American Precis Syndicate Inc.