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