Overview of Reviews The Cochrane Library and the Treatment of Sore Throat in Children and Adolescents: An Overview of Reviews

Background: Sore throat is a common respiratory tract symptom responsible for 6 % of children’s visits to pediatricians or family physicians. Even though sore throat is usually self-limiting, antibiotics are often prescribed in hopes of decreasing symptom length and the risk of developing sequelae. However, antibiotic over-prescription could lead to adverse events in individuals and bacterial resistance in the community, so the efficacy and safety of antibiotics must first be established, and alternative treatment options should also be investigated. Objectives: This overview of reviews aims to synthesize evidence from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR) on the efficacy and safety of different antibiotic treatment strategies (standard antibiotics, delayed antibiotics, short-duration antibiotics and different types of antibiotics) to improve symptoms of sore throat in children and adolescents. The efficacy and safety of two other treatments, steroids and Chinese herbal medicine, are also investigated. Methods: Issue 1, 2011 of the CDSR was searched for all reviews examining the treatment of sore throat and disorders which commonly have sore throat as part of their clinical presentation. We also searched for reviews examining the prevention of important sequelae of sore throat. All systematic reviews examining pharmacologic or non-pharmacologic treatments in children were identified, and data were extracted, compiled into tables and synthesized using quantitative and qualitative methods