Faculty Collaboration Database

Clinical significance of common cold treatment: professionals' opinions. WMJ 2007 Dec;106(8):473-80

Date

02/02/2008

Pubmed ID

18237071

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-38349187558 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   11 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Little is known about professionals' knowledge and attitudes regarding the clinical significance of treatments for common cold (upper respiratory infection, presumed viral).

METHODS: We surveyed university-associated family physicians and published common cold researchers ("experts") regarding evidence-of-benefit and magnitude-of-benefit for 8 treatments: antihistamine, oral decongestant, nasal decongestant, nasal steroid, zinc lozenge, zinc nasal spray, vitamin C, and the herbal echinacea.

RESULTS: Responding family physicians (N = 89) and experts (N = 45) agreed that cold remedies do not reduce illness duration. There was substantial disagreement, however, regarding the evidence for severity reduction. Decongestants were rated most favorably. Alternative therapies (zinc, vitamin C, and echinacea) were rated approximately as favorably as the other conventional treatments (antihistamine, decongestant, nasal steroid). Published experts and family physicians responded similarly, as did men (N = 84) and women (N = 49). Older respondents (age > or = 45; N = 67) were less likely to rate treatments as justifiable than were their younger counterparts (P-values ranged from 0.001 to 0.078).

CONCLUSIONS: Family physicians and common cold experts tend to agree that available cold remedies offer limited benefit, with conventional and alternative therapies rated similarly. Substantive disagreements exist, however, regarding strength-of-evidence, and over whether current evidence justifies treatment. Older professionals appear more skeptical.

Author List

Barrett B, Endrizzi S, Andreoli P, Barlow S, Zhang Z

Author

Sarah Endrizzi MD Assistant Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Age Factors
Ascorbic Acid
Common Cold
Echinacea
Evidence-Based Medicine
Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice
Histamine H1 Antagonists
Humans
Middle Aged
Nasal Decongestants
Physicians, Family
Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
Steroids
Surveys and Questionnaires
Zinc