ObjectiveTo explore the spectrum and frequency of respiratory symptoms in outpatients clinics.MethodsPatients were enrolled from outpatient clinic of Guangzhou Institute of Respiratory Disease. Information about respiratory symptoms especially cough was obtained from the survey questionnaire from July 2013 to August 2013 .ResultsA total of 900 were eligible out of 939 questionnaires. The mean age of the patients was (48.9±18.3) years, 453 (50.3%) were males, 447 (49.7%) were females. The cases of cough, wheeze, polypnea, chest distress, pharyngalgia, catarrh, chest pain, throat itching, fever, hemoptysis and other symptom was 687 (76.3%), 310 (34.4%), 307 (34.1%), 173 (19.2%), 107 (11.9%), 101 (11.2%), 82 (9.1%), 59 (6.6%), 36 (4.0%), 10 (1.1%) and 129 (14.3%) out of the patients, respectively. In patients with cough, 69.5% of them considered cough as their predominant symptom, and 22.1% of them reported that cough was the only symptom. 56.3% of cases were chronic cough, while acute and subacute cough accounted for 29.7% and 14.0%, separately. The proportion of female in acute cough was significantly higher than that of males (60.3%vs. 39.7%, P<0.01).ConclusionsCough, especially the chronic cough is the most common reason for patients who seeking health care in outpatient clinic of respirologist. There are more females suffered from acute cough than males.