We selected studies for review if ( a) the participants were adults (aged 16 years or older) with acute cough (less than three weeks' duration) due to upper respiratory tract infection (presumed to be viral in origin with no auscultatory chest signs or signs on chest radiography) in an ambulatory setting ( b) the interventions were over the counter cough preparations ( c) a reported outcome was cough (frequency or duration assessed with any assessment tool) and ( d) studies were randomised controlled trials with a contemporaneous control group receiving placebo or no intervention. This review is based on a Cochrane systematic review of over the counter treatments in adults and children. 9 – 11 We conducted this systematic review to determine whether over the counter cough medicines are effective for acute cough due to upper respiratory tract infections in adults. 5 – 8 Previous systematic reviews have either focused on children or were limited to trials retrieved from Medline. 4 However, many studies of cough preparations have involved patients from different populations and included participants with chronic cough due to underlying disease or were carried out on healthy volunteers in whom cough had been induced artificially through chemical irritants. 3 Cough medicines are widely available to the public without medical prescription in most countries, and retail sales rose by 3.0% to £94m between 19 in the United Kingdom. In 1991-2, there were over 4000 consultations per 10 000 patient years in general practice for acute respiratory infections. The NHS direct healthcare guide also recommends simple cough medicines for dry cough. General practitioners and other health professionals are encouraged to recommend over the counter cough medicines as a first line treatment for acute cough, 1 but evidence regarding their effectiveness is inconclusive.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |