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Each row is one question a systematic review asked: who, what, compared with what, and which outcome, with the effect it found and how certain that is. Words match anywhere in the field.
1,080 questions in 109 reviews · Acute Respiratory Infections
current versionsNo studies 132 · 12.2%Ungraded 90 · 8.3%Very low 169 · 15.6%Low 306 · 28.3%Moderate 287 · 26.6%High 96 · 8.9%
Ungraded means an effect was reported without a GRADE rating; it is not a gap. No studies means the review found nothing to answer the question. The six categories are a display order, not a score.
| Question | Effect | Evidence | Status / GRADE |
|---|---|---|---|
Summary of findings table ‐ High‐flow nasal cannula vs standard oxygen therapy (low‐flow) Length of hospital stay · infants with bronchiolitis High‐flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 7 studies · 1951 participants | Low |
Summary of findings table ‐ High‐flow nasal cannula vs standard oxygen therapy (low‐flow) Adverse events · infants with bronchiolitis High‐flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis (2024) · Cochrane | RR 1.2 [0.38, 3.74] | 4 studies · 1789 participants | Low |
Summary of findings table ‐ High‐flow nasal cannula vs standard oxygen therapy (low‐flow) Change in respiratory rate at 4 to 6 hours · infants with bronchiolitis High‐flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 692 participants | Low |
Summary of findings table ‐ High‐flow nasal cannula vs standard oxygen therapy (low‐flow) Change in heart rate at 4 to 6 hours · infants with bronchiolitis High‐flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 692 participants | Moderate |
Summary of findings table ‐ High‐flow nasal cannula vs standard oxygen therapy (low‐flow) Need for treatment escalation · infants with bronchiolitis High‐flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis (2024) · Cochrane | RR 0.55 [0.39, 0.79] | 8 studies · 2215 participants | Moderate |
Summary of findings table ‐ High‐flow nasal cannula vs standard oxygen therapy (low‐flow) Duration of oxygen therapy · infants with bronchiolitis High‐flow nasal cannula therapy for infants with bronchiolitis (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 7 studies · 2132 participants | Low |
Zinc vs placebo Proportion of participants developing a cold Duration of · adults and children without colds Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 9 studies · 1449 participants | Low |
Zinc vs placebo Proportion with improved global symptom severity Duration of · adults and children with colds and/or upper respiratory infections Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 114 participants | Low |
Zinc vs placebo Risk of adverse events, including those that may be due to zinc supplements Duration of · adults and children with colds and/or upper respiratory infections Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 16 studies · 2084 participants | Moderate |
Zinc vs placebo Risk of serious adverse events, including those that may be complications of the common cold · adults and children with colds and/or upper respiratory infections Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Zinc vs placebo Mean number of colds developed Duration of · adults and children without colds Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 1284 participants | Low |
Zinc vs placebo Mean duration of colds in days Duration of · adults and children without colds Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 740 participants | Moderate |
Zinc vs placebo Standardised mean global symptom severity Duration of · adults and children without colds Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 101 participants | Low |
Zinc vs placebo Risk of adverse events, including those that may be due to zinc supplements Duration of · adults and children without colds Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 7 studies · 1517 participants | Very low |
Zinc vs placebo Risk of serious adverse events, including those that may be complications of the common cold Duration of · adults and children without colds Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 1563 participants | Low |
Zinc vs placebo Mean duration of colds in days Duration of · adults and children with colds and/or upper respiratory infections Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 8 studies · 972 participants | Low |
Zinc vs placebo Risk of continuing colds at study end Duration of · adults and children with colds and/or upper respiratory infections Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 5 studies · 357 participants | Very low |
Zinc vs placebo Standardised mean global symptom severity Duration of · adults and children with colds and/or upper respiratory infections Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 261 participants | Very low |
Summary of findings table ‐ Vitamin A supplements vs placebo Incidence of acute URTIs during the study period (the number of acute URTIs over a period of time) · children up to the age of 7 at risk of upper respiratory tract infection Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years… (2024) · Cochrane | RR 1 [0.92, 1.09] | 3 studies · 22668 participants | Low |
Summary of findings table ‐ Vitamin A supplements vs placebo Incidence of acute URTIs during the study period (proportion of participants with an acute URTI) · children up to the age of 7 at risk of upper respiratory tract infection Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years… (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 15535 participants | Low |
Summary of findings table ‐ Vitamin A supplements vs placebo Adverse events · children up to the age of 7 at risk of upper respiratory tract infection Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years… (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 1 study · 116 participants | Very low |
Summary of findings table ‐ Vitamin A supplements vs placebo Severity of subjective symptoms (mean duration of acute URTI) · children up to the age of 7 at risk of upper respiratory tract infection Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years… (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 290 participants | Very low |
Summary of findings table ‐ Vitamin A supplements vs placebo Time to occurrence of acute URTI ‐ not reported · children up to the age of 7 at risk of upper respiratory tract infection Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years… (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Summary of findings table ‐ Vitamin A supplements vs placebo Number of cases with complications ‐ not reported · children up to the age of 7 at risk of upper respiratory tract infection Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years… (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Summary of findings table ‐ Vitamin A supplements vs placebo Rate of hospitalisation ‐ not reported · children up to the age of 7 at risk of upper respiratory tract infection Oral vitamin A supplements to prevent acute upper respiratory tract infections in children up to seven years… (2024) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | NR | No studies |
Antibiotics vs placebo Pain ‐ pain at 24 hours · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.89 [0.78, 1.01] | 5 studies · 1394 participants | High |
Immediate antibiotics vs expectant observation Pain ‐ Pain at 11 to 14 days · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.91 [0.75, 1.1] | 1 study · 247 participants | Low |
Immediate antibiotics vs expectant observation Vomiting, diarrhoea or rash · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 1.87 [1.39, 2.51] | 3 studies · 946 participants | High |
Immediate antibiotics vs expectant observation Abnormal tympanometry at 4 weeks · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 1.03 [0.78, 1.35] | 1 study · 207 participants | Moderate |
Antibiotics vs placebo Pain ‐ pain at 2 to 3 days · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.71 [0.58, 0.88] | 7 studies · 2320 participants | High |
Antibiotics vs placebo Pain ‐ pain at 4 to 7 days · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.76 [0.5, 1.14] | 7 studies · 1264 participants | High |
Antibiotics vs placebo Pain ‐ pain at 10 to 12 days · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.33 [0.17, 0.66] | 1 study · 278 participants | Moderate |
Antibiotics vs placebo Vomiting, diarrhoea or rash · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 1.38 [1.16, 1.63] | 8 studies · 2107 participants | High |
Antibiotics vs placebo Abnormal tympanometry ‐ 2 to 4 weeks · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.83 [0.72, 0.96] | 7 studies · 2138 participants | High |
Antibiotics vs placebo Abnormal tympanometry ‐ 3 months · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.94 [0.66, 1.34] | 3 studies · 809 participants | High |
Immediate antibiotics vs expectant observation Pain ‐ Pain at 2 to 3 days · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.53 [0.35, 0.79] | 1 study · 396 participants | Low |
Immediate antibiotics vs expectant observation Pain ‐ Pain at 3 to 7 days · children with acute otitis media Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.75 [0.5, 1.12] | 4 studies · 959 participants | Moderate |
Any glucocorticoid vs placebo Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 7 studies · 426 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs epinephrine Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 129 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs epinephrine Return visits or (re)admissions or both · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | RD 0 | 2 studies · 130 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs epinephrine Adverse events · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 162 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs placebo Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 11 studies · 959 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs placebo Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 8 studies · 571 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs placebo Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 8 studies · 351 participants | Very low |
Any glucocorticoid vs placebo Return visits or (re)admissions or both · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | RR 0.52 [0.36, 0.75] | 10 studies · 1679 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs placebo Adverse events · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 13 studies · 1399 participants | Low |
Any glucocorticoid vs epinephrine Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 130 participants | Very low |
Any glucocorticoid vs epinephrine Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 2 studies · 63 participants | Very low |
Any glucocorticoid vs epinephrine Change in croup score. · children with croup Glucocorticoids for croup in children (2023) · Cochrane | no estimate extracted | 3 studies · 129 participants | Low |
Cephalosporins vs penicillin Resolution of symptoms post‐treatment (ITT analysis) · group A streptococcal pharyngitis Different antibiotic treatments for group A streptococcal pharyngitis (2023) · Cochrane | OR 0.79 [0.55, 1.12] | 5 studies · 2018 participants | Low |