Over the counter cough medicines for acute cough

Systematic review of randomised controlled trials of over the counter cough medicines for acute cough in adults.

OBJECTIVES To determine whether over the counter cough medicines are effective for acute cough in adults. DESIGN Systematic review of randomised controlled trials. DATA SOURCES Search of the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group specialised register, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline, Embase, and the UK Department of Health National Research Register in all languages. INC...

Should we advise parents to administer over the counter cough medicines for acute cough? Systematic review of randomised controlled trials.

AIMS To determine the effectiveness of over the counter (OTC) cough medicines for acute cough in children. METHODS Systematic review of randomised controlled trials (RCTs). An all language search of the Cochrane Acute Respiratory Infections Group specialised register, Cochrane Controlled Trials Register, Medline, Embase, and the UK Department of Health National Research Register was performed...

Over-the-counter cough medicines in children: neither safe or efficacious?

Toxicity of over-the-counter cough and cold medications.

Over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications are marketed widely for relief of common cold symptoms, and yet studies have failed to demonstrate a benefit of these medications for young children. In addition, OTC medications can be associated with significant morbidity and even mortality in both acute overdoses and when administered in correct doses for chronic periods of time. Physicians o...

Review: evidence does not support the effectiveness of over the counter preparations for acute cough.

Study selection Studies were selected if they were randomised, placebo controlled studies (RCTs) of OTC preparations for acute cough in children and adults in outpatient settings. RCTs of chronic cough ( > 3 wks duration), cough resulting from underlying respiratory disease, or cough induced artificially by inhalation of chemicals were excluded, as were studies of non-oral, herbal, or homeopath...