scholarly journals Feasibility study: honey for treatment of cough in children

2013 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Naveed Ahmed ◽  
Alastair Sutcliffe ◽  
Claire Tipper
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Structured Interview ◽  
Assessment Tools ◽  
World Health ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Age And Gender ◽  
Cough Assessment ◽  
And Gender ◽  
Tract Infections

Respiratory tract infections are an important health problem because of high incidence and economic costs. The World Health Organization identifies honey as a potential demulcent treatment for cough. The aim of this study is to determine: i) patient public perceptions towards a proposed randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing the effects of honey to placebo for treatment of cough in children; ii) potential participation rates for proposed trial; iii) whether age and gender of parent or child impacts on proposed cough assessment tools. Forty adult participants with children age 1-6 years presenting with an upper respiratory tract infection were enrolled. They underwent a structured interview regarding the proposed trial and assessed their child’s cough using two validated questionnaires. Eighty-eight percent of those recruited were willing to participate in the proposed trial. The two independently validated cough scores correlated well. A relationship between age and gender of child or parent with cough assessment score was not found. We conclude that a RCT to determine the effects of honey versus placebo is feasible. The public find the outcome measures and trial design acceptable.

scholarly journals Oropharyngeal Probiotic ENT-K12 Prevents Respiratory Tract Infections Among Frontline Medical Staff Fighting Against COVID-19: A Pilot Study

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qiang Wang ◽  
Xuan Lin ◽  
Xiaochen Xiang ◽  
Wanxin Liu ◽  
Ying Fang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Medical Staff ◽  
Healthcare Workers ◽  
Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract Infections ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Tract Infections

Healthcare workers at the frontline are facing a substantial risk of respiratory tract infection during the COVID-19 outbreak due to an extremely stressful work schedule and public health event. A well-established first-line defense on oropharyngeal microbiome could be a promising strategy to protect individuals from respiratory tract infections including COVID-19. The most thoroughly studied oropharyngeal probiotic product which creates a stable upper respiratory tract microbiota capable of preventing upper respiratory tract infections was chosen to evaluate the safety and efficacy on reducing episodes of upper respiratory tract infections for COVID-19 healthcare workers. To our knowledge to date, this is the very first study describing the beneficial effects of oropharyngeal probiotic been administered by healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this randomized controlled trial, we provided the probiotics to frontline medical staff who work in the hospitals in Wuhan and had been in close contact with hospitalized COVID-19 patients for prophylactic use on a daily basis. Our finding suggests that oropharyngeal probiotic administration significantly reduced the incidence of respiratory tract infections by 64.8%, reduced the time experiencing respiratory tract infections and oral ulcer symptoms by 78%, shortened the days absent from work by 95.5%, and reduced the time under medication where there is no record of antibiotic and anti-viral drug intake in the probiotic group. Furthermore, medical staff treated with Bactoblis experienced sustained protection from respiratory tract infections since the 10th day of oropharyngeal probiotic administration resulting in an extremely low incidence rate of respiratory tract infections.

scholarly journals Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG DSM 33156 effects on pathogen defence in the upper respiratory tract: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled paediatric trial

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-12
Author(s):  
A. Damholt ◽  
M.K. Keller ◽  
K. Baranowski ◽  
B. Brown ◽  
A. Wichmann ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
General Practitioner ◽  
Respiratory Tract ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Oral Intake ◽  
Upper Respiratory Tract ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Double Blind Placebo ◽  
Upper Respiratory ◽  
Tract Infections ◽  
Cluster 2

Acute upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) are caused by numerous viruses and bacteria. URTIs can be a cause of morbidity and are among the most common reasons for visiting healthcare practitioners and prescribing antibiotics to children in addition to causing absenteeism from school and work. Oral intake of Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus GG DSM 33156 has shown beneficial health effects in several clinical trials, primarily relating to immune function and gastrointestinal health in children and adults. It has also been suggested that oral intake of L. rhamnosus GG DSM 33156 can reduce the incidence rate and alleviate symptoms of URTIs in children. We here report the results of a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 619 children aged 2-6 years conducted at a single centre in Scotland. The children, who were in day care or primary school, were followed over a 16-week intervention period with 309 randomised in the active group and 310 in the placebo group. The parents or guardians reported a daily healthcare status and any presumed episodes of URTI, which were subsequently confirmed by a general practitioner. The investigational product was well tolerated in the trial. Although a general trend towards a beneficial effect was observed, this trial did not demonstrate that L. rhamnosus GG DSM 33156 significantly reduced the incidence of URTIs, diagnosed by a general practitioner according to prespecified criteria (primary endpoint). Moreover, none of the secondary efficacy endpoints were met. Applying a Ward’s hierarchical clustering, two separate clusters, focussing on four quality of life-related endpoints, were identified. Cluster 1 was associated with more severe URTI characteristics than cluster 2. Cluster 2 was significantly enriched with children who consumed the product, indicating that the symptoms children experience during an URTI are alleviated by the intake of L. rhamnosus GG DSM 33156. The study is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov ID: NCT03636191.

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