Sufficiently Important Difference for Common Cold: Severity Reduction

Zinc for the common cold.

BACKGROUND The common cold is one of the most widespread illnesses and is a leading cause of visits to the doctor and absenteeism from school and work. Trials conducted in high-income countries since 1984 investigating the role of zinc for the common cold symptoms have had mixed results. Inadequate treatment masking and reduced bioavailability of zinc from some formulations have been cited as i...

The minimal important difference for target lobe volume reduction after endoscopic valve therapy

Objective Endoscopic valve therapy aims at target lobe volume reduction (TLVR) that is associated with improved lung function, exercise tolerance and quality of life in emphysema patients. So far, a TLVR of >350 mL was considered to be indicative of a positive response to treatment. However, it is not really known what amount of TLVR is crucial following valve implantation. Patients and metho...

The common cold.

Common Cold (Coryza)

The common cold is an acute, self-limiting, viral inflammation of the mucosa of the upper respiratory tract. It causes nasal discharge and congestion, sneezing, a sore throat and a cough. The common cold actually describes an array of similar conditions caused by a vast number of different viruses. It is most often caused by infection with rhinoviruses (50-80%) and coronaviruses [1] . It may al...

Blood-letting therapy for the common cold

Background: Many people experience the common cold, but there is currently no special treatment. For this reason, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) therapies are used to improve the symptoms of the common cold. Blood-letting therapy (BL) is a CAM therapy that has been used for over 2000 years to treat various diseases. However, few studies have provided evidence for the efficacy and ...