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

Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing meningitis in patients with basilar skull fractures

Ratilal, BO, Costa, J, et al. · Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews · 2015

Acute Respiratory Infections

Thinnest evidence

Reviews 109

Antibiotic prophylaxis for preventing meningitis in patients with basilar skull fractures

Non‐steroidal anti‐inflammatory drugs for the common cold

Saline nasal irrigation for acute upper respiratory tract infections

Heliox inhalation therapy for bronchiolitis in infants

Short‐course versus prolonged‐course antibiotic therapy for hospital‐acquired pneumonia in critically ill adults

Macrolides for diffuse panbronchiolitis

Surfactant therapy for bronchiolitis in critically ill infants

Antihistamines for the common cold

Post‐exposure passive immunisation for preventing rubella and congenital rubella syndrome

Leukotriene inhibitors for bronchiolitis in infants and young children

Interventions to facilitate shared decision making to address antibiotic use for acute respiratory infections in primary care

Antibiotics for preventing lower respiratory tract infections in high‐risk children aged 12 years and under

Antibiotics for acute maxillary sinusitis in adults

Amantadine and rimantadine for influenza A in children and the elderly

Oxygen therapy for lower respiratory tract infections in children between 3 months and 15 years of age

Over‐the‐counter (OTC) medications to reduce cough as an adjunct to antibiotics for acute pneumonia in children and adults

Systemic corticosteroids for acute sinusitis

Probiotics for preventing ventilator‐associated pneumonia

Post‐exposure passive immunisation for preventing measles

Zinc for the common cold

Continuous negative extrathoracic pressure or continuous positive airway pressure compared to conventional ventilation for acute hypoxaemic respiratory failure in children

Glucocorticoids for acute viral bronchiolitis in infants and young children

Pelargonium sidoides extract for treating acute respiratory tract infections

Monoclonal antibody for reducing the risk of respiratory syncytial virus infection in children

Chest radiographs for acute lower respiratory tract infections