Table 2.
Treatment effects of interventions for rhinosinusitis in children that have been assessed in randomized, controlled trials
| Intervention | Evidence | Effect |
|---|---|---|
| Prevention | ||
| Vitamin C | 30 studies (11,350 participants) | No significant reduction in proportion of participants experiencing the common cold (48%) |
| Echinacea | Three studies (498 participants) | No significant reduction in proportion of participants experiencing the common cold (45%) |
| Treatment of initial rhinosinusitis | ||
| Antihistamines | Five studies (3492 participants) | No significant reduction in proportion of participants with persistent symptoms at 1 to 2 days (55%) |
| Vitamin C | Seven studies (3294 participants) | No significant reduction in median duration of symptoms |
| Antibiotics | Six studies (1147 participants) | No significant reduction in persistent symptoms at 7 days (35% versus 31%); significant reduction in persistence of purulent rhinitis from 42% to 24% |
| Decongestants | Six studies (643 participants) | Subjective assessment of congestion reduced by 6% after one dose. Effect persisted with repeated doses over 3 days |
| Zinc lozenges | 13 studies (516 participants) | No consistent effects on symptoms |
| Echinacea | Two studies (200 participants) | Proportion experiencing “full” cold reduced by 12% to 23% but no effect in other studies of different outcomes |
| Treatment of persistent rhinosinusitis/clinical sinusitis | ||
| Intranasal corticosteroids | Three studies (1792 participants) | Persistent disease reduced from 27% to 19%. |
| Antibiotics | 14 studies (1309 participants) | Persistent disease at around 2 weeks reduced from 60% to 46% in adults and from 46% to 35% in children |