Cochrane Review Group

Acute Respiratory Infections

109 systematic reviews in Acute Respiratory Infections ask 1,080 questions. 12.2% have no studies to answer them, 15.6% rest on very low certainty evidence and 35.5% reach moderate or high certainty.

Reviews

109

Questions

1,080

current versions

No studies

12.2%

Moderate or high

35.5%

No 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.

Search questions in Acute Respiratory Infections

Thinnest evidence

All no studies and very low questions

Question	Effect	Evidence	Status / GRADE
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 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 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 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
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 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

Reviews 109

Systemic corticosteroids for acute otitis media in children

Ranakusuma, RW, Pitoyo, Y, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2018

Acute Respiratory Infections

Thinnest evidence

Reviews 109

Systemic corticosteroids for acute otitis media in children

Heated, humidified air for the common cold

Pre‐admission antibiotics for suspected cases of meningococcal disease

Procalcitonin to initiate or discontinue antibiotics in acute respiratory tract infections

Corticosteroids for pneumonia

Haemophilus influenzae oral vaccination for preventing acute exacerbations of chronic bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Influenza vaccines for preventing acute otitis media in infants and children

Surgical versus non‐surgical management for pleural empyema

Zinc supplementation for the treatment of measles in children

Antibiotics for ventilator‐associated pneumonia

Fluid therapy for acute bacterial meningitis

Influenza vaccination for healthcare workers who care for people aged 60 or older living in long‐term care institutions

Zinc supplementation for the prevention of pneumonia in children aged 2 months to 59 months

Xylitol for preventing acute otitis media in children up to 12 years of age

Routine vitamin A supplementation for the prevention of blindness due to measles infection in children

Antibiotics for preventing suppurative complications from undifferentiated acute respiratory infections in children under five years of age

Nasal decongestants in monotherapy for the common cold

Semi‐recumbent position versus supine position for the prevention of ventilator‐associated pneumonia in adults requiring mechanical ventilation

Written information for patients (or parents of child patients) to reduce the use of antibiotics for acute upper respiratory tract infections in primary care

Antiviral agents for infectious mononucleosis (glandular fever)

Exercise prior to influenza vaccination for limiting influenza incidence and its related complications in adults

Beta2‐agonists for acute cough or a clinical diagnosis of acute bronchitis

Homeopathic Oscillococcinum® for preventing and treating influenza and influenza‐like illness

Corticosteroids for acute bacterial meningitis

Antibiotics for acute laryngitis in adults