3. Summary of clinical outcomes: delayed versus no antibiotics.
| Study | Outcome | Delay | No antibiotics | Favours | Result (with 95% CI) |
| Sore throat (pharyngitis) | |||||
| De la Poza Abad 2016 | Pain duration (delayed prescription at time of visit) | 5.7 days (SD 5.1, n = 45) | 7.8 days (SD 6.0, n = 46) | No difference | MD ‐2.10 (95% CI ‐4.39 to 0.19) |
| Pain duration (delayed prescription requiring collection) | 7.4 days (SD 6.3, n = 46) | 7.8 days (SD 6.0, n = 46) | No difference | MD ‐0.40 (95% CI ‐2.91 to 2.11) | |
| Fever duration (delayed prescription at time of visit) | 3.1 days (SD 1.8, n = 45) | 3.2 days (SD 2.5, n = 46) | No difference | MD 0.10 (95% CI 0.99 to 0.79) | |
| Fever duration (delayed prescription requiring collection) | 3.4 days (SD 2.4, n = 46) | 3.2 days (SD 2.5, n = 46) | No difference | MD 0.20 (95% CI ‐0.80 to 1.20) | |
| Cough duration (delayed prescription at time of visit) | 8.1 days (SD 5.9, n = 45) | 10.6 days (SD 8.6, n = 46) | No difference | MD 0.0 (95% CI ‐2.37 to 2.37) | |
| Cough duration (delayed prescription requiring collection) | 8.2 days (SD 6.9, n = 46) | 10.6 days (SD 8.6, n = 46) | No difference | MD 0.10 (95% CI ‐2.48 to 2.68) | |
| Nasal mucosity duration (delayed prescription at time of visit) | 7.2 days (SD 4.3, n = 45) | 8.9 days (SD 6.5, n = 45) | No difference | MD ‐1.70 (95% CI ‐3.96 to 0.56) | |
| Nasal mucosity duration (delayed prescription requiring collection) | 9.7 days (SD 8.3, n = 46) | 8.9 days (SD 6.5, n = 46) | No difference | MD 0.80 (95% CI ‐2.25 to 3.85) | |
| Little 2005a | Clinical outcomes | Unavailable | Unavailable | No difference | Unavailable |
| Mas‐Dalmau 2021 | Headache duration | 5.5 days (SD 7.0, n = 146) | 3.3 days (SD 3.0, n = 142) | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Headache severitya | 2 (IQR 2 to 3) | 3 (IQR 2 to 4) | Unavailable | Unavailable | |
| Sore throat duration | 5.0 days (SD 4.1, n = 146) | 5.5 days (SD 6.2, n = 142) | Unavailable | Unavailable | |
| Sore throat severitya | 3 (IQR 2 to 5) | 3 (IQR 2 to 4) | Unavailable | Unavailable | |
| Difficulty swallowing duration | 4.7 days (SD 3.8, n = 146) | 5.0 days (SD 5.2, n = 142) | Unavailable | Unavailable | |
| Difficulty swallowing severitya | 3 (IQR 2 to 4) | 2 (IQR 2 to 4) | Unavailable | Unavailable | |
| Acute otitis media | |||||
| Chao 2008 | Fever day 3 | 18/106 | 8/100 | No difference | OR 1.45 (95% CI 0.50 to 4.24) |
| Pain day 3 | 26/106 | 29/100 | No difference | OR 0.64 (95% CI 0.29 to 1.38) | |
| Mas‐Dalmau 2021 | Earache duration | 4.4 days (SD 3.9, n = 146) | 5.2 days (SD 6.3, n = 142) | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Earache severitya | 2 (IQR 1 to 3) | 2 (IQR 2 to 3) | Unavailable | Unavailable | |
| Cough (bronchitis) | |||||
| De la Poza Abad 2016 | Pain duration (delayed prescription at time of visit versus no antibiotics) | 11 days (SD 8.0, n = 32) | 12.2 days (SD 8.0, n = 32) | No difference | MD ‐1.20 (95% CI ‐5.07 to 2.67) |
| Pain duration (delayed prescription requiring collection versus no antibiotics) | 8.9 days (SD 6.9, n = 32) | 12.2 days (SD 7.8, n = 32) | No difference | MD ‐3.30 (95% CI ‐6.91 to 0.31) | |
| Fever duration (delayed prescription at time of visit versus no antibiotics) | 5.6 days (SD 5.9, n = 32 | 7.2 days (SD 7.9, n = 32) | No difference | MD ‐1.60 (95% CI ‐8.82 to 5.62) | |
| Fever duration (delayed prescription requiring collection versus no antibiotics) | 4.7 days (SD 4.6, n = 32) | 7.2 days (SD 7.9, n = 32) | No difference | MD ‐2.50 (95% CI ‐5.67 to 0.67) | |
| Cough duration (delayed prescription at time of visit versus no antibiotics) | 15.6 days (SD 8.8, n = 32) | 15.1 days (SD 7.6, n = 32) | No difference | MD ‐0.50 (95% CI ‐3.53 to 4.53) | |
| Cough duration (delayed prescription requiring collection versus no antibiotics) | 12.0 days (SD 5.6, n = 32) | 15.1 days (SD 7.6, n = 32) | No difference | MD ‐3.10 (95% CI ‐6.37 to 0.17) | |
| Mas‐Dalmau 2021 | Cough duration | 9.5 (SD 7.1, n = 146) | 8.0 (SD 6.6, n = 142) | Unavailable | Unavailable |
| Cough severitya | 3 (IQR = 2‐3) | 2 (IQR = 1‐3) | Unavailable | Unavailable | |
| Common cold | |||||
| De la Poza Abad 2016 | Pain duration (delayed prescription at time of visit versus no antibiotics) | 8.4 days (SD 8.2, n = 29) | 13.7 days (SD 6.7, n = 19) | Delayed antibiotics | MD ‐5.30 (95% CI ‐9.54 to ‐1.06) |
| Pain duration (delayed prescription requiring collection versus no antibiotics) | 10.1 days (SD 7.5, n = 20) | 13.7 days (SD 6.7, n = 19) | No difference | MD ‐3.60 (95% CI ‐8.06 to 0.86) | |
| Fever duration (delayed prescription at time of visit versus no antibiotics) | 3.0 days (SD 1.2, n = 29) | 9.0 days (SD 8.9, n = 19) | Delayed antibiotics | MD ‐6.00 (95% CI ‐10.03 to ‐1.97) | |
| Fever duration (delayed prescription requiring collection versus no antibiotics) | 4.2 days (SD 3, n = 20) | 9.0 days (SD 8.9, n = 19) | Delayed antibiotics | MD ‐4.80 (95% CI ‐9.01 to ‐0.59) | |
| Cough duration (delayed prescription at time of visit versus no antibiotics) | 8.3 days (SD 5.2, n = 29) | 11.7 days (SD 6.4, n = 19) | No difference | MD ‐3.40 (95% CI ‐6.84 to 0.04) | |
| Cough duration (delayed prescription requiring collection versus no antibiotics) | 6.4 days (SD 4.6, n = 20) | 11.7 days (SD 6.4, n = 19) | Delayed antibiotics | MD ‐5.30 (95% CI ‐8.81 to ‐1.79) | |
| Nasal mucosity duration (delayed prescription at time of visit versus no antibiotics) | 15.2 days (SD 9.7, n = 29) | 15.2 days (SD 7.5, n = 19) | No difference | MD ‐0.0 (95% CI ‐4.88 to 4.88) | |
| Nasal mucosity (delayed prescription requiring collection versus no antibiotics) | 10.7 days (SD 7.2, n = 20) | 15.2 days (SD 7.5, n = 19) | No difference | MD ‐4.50 (95% CI ‐9.12 to 0.12) | |
CI: confidence interval IQR: interquartile range MD: mean difference OR: odds ratio SD: standard deviation
aMas‐Dalmau 2021 symptom severity scored on Likert scale from 0 (no problem) to 6 (as bad as it could be) and reported as median (interquartile range (IQR)).