CME INDIA Presentation: (From American college of physicians highlights the paper from BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine 25th August 2020)

🍑It is well known that antibiotic over prescription for upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs) in primary care exacerbates antimicrobial resistance.

🥣Honey is a lay remedy for URTIs, and has an emerging evidence base for its use.

🥝Honey has antimicrobial properties, and guidelines recommended honey for acute cough in children.

Let us see what this paper says:

Effectiveness of honey for symptomatic relief in upper respiratory tract infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis 🍒

► Honey is a well-known lay therapy for symptoms of upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs); other medications for URTIs are ineffective and can have harmful side effects

► The use of antibiotics for URTIs is a particular problem, because they are ineffective, and contribute to antimicrobial resistance

► A Cochrane systematic review found that honey can improve cough in children; honey has not been systematically reviewed for other URTI symptoms, or in other patient groups.

What are the new findings?

► Honey is more effective than usual care alternatives for improving URTI symptoms, particularly cough frequency and cough severity

► Comparisons with placebo are more limited, and require more high quality, placebo controlled trials.

How might it impact on clinical practice in the foreseeable future?

► There are currently very few effective options that clinicians can prescribe for URTIs

► Honey can be used as an alternative to antibiotics by clinicians who wish to offer treatment for URTIs, which may help to combat antimicrobial resistance

Source: By Hibatullah Abuelgasim http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2498-090X


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