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Adjuvant prednisone therapy in pharyngitis: a randomised controlled trial from general practice.
Alexander Kiderman1, John Yaphe, Joseph Bregman
1Department of Family Medicine, Hadassah Hebrew University Medical School, Jerusalem, Israel.
Summary
Short-acting oral prednisone effectively reduces throat pain in adults with acute pharyngitis. This steroid therapy offers rapid relief without reported adverse effects or increased recurrence, improving patient suffering.
Area of Science:
- General Practice
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Acute pharyngitis is a common condition in general practice, with significant patient suffering often unaddressed.
- Previous evidence suggests corticosteroids may alleviate pain and discomfort associated with acute pharyngitis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of short-acting oral prednisone compared to placebo for acute pharyngitis in adults.
- To determine if prednisone reduces pain, time off work, fever, and dysphagia.
Main Methods:
- A randomized, placebo-controlled trial was conducted in a general practice setting in Israel.
- Patients received either 60 mg of oral prednisone for 1-2 days or a placebo.
- Outcomes included throat pain (visual analogue scale), time off work, fever, dysphagia, and symptom recurrence.
Main Results:
- Prednisone treatment resulted in significantly faster resolution of throat pain compared to placebo.
- No adverse effects were observed in the prednisone group.
- There were no differences in symptom recurrence or bacterial culture recurrence between groups.
Conclusions:
- Short-acting oral steroid therapy, specifically prednisone, is effective in reducing throat pain duration for acute pharyngitis.
- Prednisone offers a safe and effective treatment option for managing acute pharyngitis symptoms in primary care.