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Updated: Jul 31, 2025

Methods for Detecting Cough and Airway Inflammation in Mice
Published on: August 2, 2024
Gabapentin for chronic refractory cough: A system review and meta-analysis
Sheng Xie1, Meiling Xie2, Yongchun Shen3
1Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Chengdu First People's Hospital, Sichuan, China.
Objective:
To evaluate the efficacy and safety of gabapentin in the treatment of chronic refractory cough by Meta-Analysis.
Methods:
Literatures were retrieved from PubMed, Embase (OvidIP), Cochrane Library, CNKI, VIP, Wanfang Database and China Biomedical Management System and eligible prospective studies were screened. Data were extracted and analyzed by using RevMan 5.4.1 software.
Results:
Six articles (2 RCTs and 4 prospective studies) with 536 participants were finally included. Meta-analysis showed that gabapentin was better than placebo in cough-specific quality of life (LCQ score, MD = 4.02, 95%CI [3.26,4,78], Z = 10.34, P < 0.00001), cough severity (VAS score, MD = -29.36, 95% CI (-39.46, -19.26), Z = 5.7, P < 0.00001), cough frequency (MD = -29.87, 95% CI [- 43.84, -15.91], Z = 4.19, P < 0.0001) and therapeutic efficacy (RR = 1.37,95%CI [1.13,1.65], Z = 3.27, P = 0.001), and equal in safety (RR = 1.32,95%CI [0.47,3.7], Z = 0.53, P = 0.59). Gabapentin was similar to other neuromodulators in therapeutic efficacy (RR = 1.07,95%CI [0.87,1.32], Z = 0.64, P = 0.52), but its safety was better.
Conclusion:
Gabapentin is effective in the treatment of chronic refractory cough in both subjective and objective evaluations, and its safety is better than other neuromodulators.
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