Over-the-counter cough medicines in children: neither safe or efficacious?

摘要

Patients are encouraged to self-manage acute upper respiratory illness (URTI) and take over-the-counter treatments (OTC) to relieve symptoms rather than attend GPs or seek professional services out of hours. One of the most troublesome symptoms of acute URTI is cough, particularly in young children in whom nocturnal symptoms can cause considerable sleep disruption. Understandably, parents have a strong urge to relieve cough in their children with OTC cough medicines, and consumers purchase approximately 95 million of these products per year in the US alone.