Therapeutic options for acute cough due to upper respiratory infections in children

Area of Science:

• Pediatrics
• Pharmacology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Acute cough from upper respiratory infections (URIs) is a common pediatric complaint, significantly disrupting children's and families' lives.
• Current therapeutic options in the US for pediatric URI-associated cough lack robust evidence for efficacy.
• Existing treatments, including narcotics and FDA-approved over-the-counter (OTC) antitussives/expectorants, have limited supporting research.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the available evidence for treatments of acute cough in children with URIs.
• To identify effective and safe therapeutic options for pediatric cough.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of published, well-designed, contemporary research.
• Analysis of evidence for narcotics, OTC antitussives/expectorants, honey, and vapor rubs.

Main Results:

• No strong evidence supports the efficacy of narcotics (codeine, hydrocodone) for pediatric URI cough.
• Limited data exists for FDA-approved OTC oral antitussives and expectorants (dextromethorphan, diphenhydramine, chlophedianol, guaifenesin) in this population.
• Honey and topical vapor rubs may serve as effective antitussive agents.

Conclusions:

• Evidence supporting common pharmacological treatments for pediatric URI cough is scarce.
• Non-pharmacological interventions like honey and vapor rubs may offer viable alternatives for symptom relief.