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How effective are treatments other than antibiotics for acute sore throat?
M Thomas1, C Del Mar, P Glasziou
1Centre for General Practice, Graduate School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Australia.
Abstract:
To estimate the benefits of treatments other than antibiotics for acute sore throat, and the differences between non-antibiotic interventions and controls in patient-perceived pain of sore throat, a systematic review of controlled trials in Medline and the Cochrane Library was carried out. Sixty-six randomised controlled trials (with or without additional antibiotics) were identified and 17 met the selection criteria. Twenty-two non-antibiotic managements for sore throat were compared. Their efficacy relative to placebo ranged from no effect to 93%. Some non-antibiotic treatments may be more effective than antibiotics; however, publication bias may have exaggerated the benefits. These treatments should be investigated further with respect to efficacy, safety, and side-effects as potential firstline management options for acute sore throat.
Insights
Non-antibiotic treatments show varied efficacy for acute sore throat pain, with some potentially outperforming antibiotics. Further research is needed to confirm benefits and safety for these alternative therapies.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology and Therapeutics
- Evidence-Based Medicine
Background:
- Acute sore throat is a common ailment often treated with antibiotics.
- There is a need to explore non-antibiotic interventions for symptom relief and to reduce antibiotic resistance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the efficacy of non-antibiotic treatments for acute sore throat.
- To compare these interventions against controls and antibiotics regarding patient-perceived pain.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review of randomized controlled trials was conducted using Medline and the Cochrane Library.
- Seventeen trials meeting selection criteria compared 22 different non-antibiotic managements for sore throat.
Main Results:
- The efficacy of non-antibiotic treatments relative to placebo varied widely, from no effect to 93%.
- Some non-antibiotic options demonstrated potential to be more effective than antibiotics.
- Publication bias may have inflated the reported benefits of these treatments.
Conclusions:
- Non-antibiotic treatments represent potential first-line management options for acute sore throat.
- Further investigation into the efficacy, safety, and side-effects of these interventions is warranted.