Prednisone sore throat. Jury Still Out on Steroids Used to Relieve Adult Sore Throat Symptoms

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Prednisone sore throat

  Editor's Note: The role of shared decision making cannot be overemphasized. The risks may outweigh the benefits when larger doses are given to patients with multiple episodes of sore throat. This means that on average a doctor would need to prescribe corticosteroids to 12 patients to help 1 additional patient feel better after 48 hours. From the AFP Editors. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. Corticosteroids are typically given as 10 mg of dexamethasone for adults 0.     ❾-50%}

 

- Prednisone sore throat

    One dose of a steroid can alleviate the pain—and has the potential to decrease unnecessary use of antibiotics. Next Article: Herpes Zoster Infection. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference. A short course of corticosteroids has been used successfully and shown to be safe for conditions such as acute sinusitis, croup, and asthma. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings. This Cochrane review found that patients with severe or exudative sore throat benefit from pain reduction with corticosteroids, used as an adjunct to antibiotics and other analgesics without increased risk for harm.

Do patients want antibiotics, or simply pain relief? Antibiotics produce only a modest reduction in symptoms of pharyngitis fever and throat soreness , presumably in patients with bacterial infections, and increase the risk for adverse events. A short course of corticosteroids has been used successfully and shown to be safe for conditions such as acute sinusitis, croup, and asthma. A systematic review suggested that was the case.

In all eight RCTs, antibiotics were given to those in both the treatment and placebo groups. In addition, all participants were allowed to use traditional analgesia either acetaminophen or NSAIDs. Corticosteroids oral dexamethasone, oral prednisone, or intramuscular [IM] dexamethasone were used as an adjunctive treatment in all the RCTs. Corticosteroids are typically given as 10 mg of dexamethasone for adults 0. The risks may outweigh the benefits when larger doses are given to patients with multiple episodes of sore throat.

To mitigate this issue, clinicians should administer the medication in the office, if possible, or prescribe only one dose per visit. Editor's Note: The role of shared decision making cannot be overemphasized.

A single dose of corticosteroids may seem harmless, but this may not be the case for cumulative use. We have to ask ourselves and our patients how much they will benefit if there are no fewer days missed from school or work. This content is owned by the AAFP. A person viewing it online may make one printout of the material and may use that printout only for his or her personal, non-commercial reference.

This material may not otherwise be downloaded, copied, printed, stored, transmitted or reproduced in any medium, whether now known or later invented, except as authorized in writing by the AAFP. While corticosteroids may still play a role in other aspects of sore throat management due to their anti-inflammatory properties, such as for patients seen in hospital settings, or if a patient is unable to swallow or take other medications, GPs should continue to fall back on conventional wisdom for sore throat — over-the-counter painkillers, drinking plenty of fluids and time.

Is there a link between antibiotic use in gastrointestinal illness and complications such as arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome? DPhil student Seun Esan investigates. Readers' comments will be moderated - see our guidelines for further information. Hayward GN. Cookies on this website. Accept all cookies Reject all non-essential cookies Find out more. Related Content.

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Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings. Gail Hayward. In the face of mounting pressure to reduce antibiotic prescribing, what alternatives are there for treating the one-in-ten people who visit their doctor each year with this common ailment?

As both a GP and an academic researcher, I see a lot of patients who are suffering with sore throats, and I know that effective alternative treatments to antibiotics would be welcomed by both GPs and patients. While previous research on the subject has suggested a role for corticosteroids, the evidence is yet to be compelling enough to herald a step-change in our approach to acute sore throat.

So along with researchers from the Universities of Oxford, Bristol and Southampton, we set out to shed some light on the issue by examining, for the first time, the effect of a single corticosteroid capsule given to patients in primary care who present with a sore throat.

We followed up by text message to find out whether patients were feeling completely better, how long they had moderately bad symptoms for, whether they had time off work, and if they had cashed-in the antibiotic prescription. After 24 hours, corticosteroids had no effect on sore throat symptoms compared with the control group. This means that on average a doctor would need to prescribe corticosteroids to 12 patients to help 1 additional patient feel better after 48 hours.

So is this effect at 48 hours strong enough evidence to warrant a shift to GPs prescribing corticosteroids routinely for sore throat? And then there are the side-effects of corticosteroids to consider — such as changes in mood and increased appetite in the short term, and weaker bones and high blood pressure after using steroids frequently for longer periods of time. If patients were taking steroid courses for other medical conditions at the same time as visiting their doctor with a sore throat, these longer-term side effects might start to become a concern.

We also need to consider whether patients might seek GP appointments more frequently for sore throat if their GP were to prescribe steroids, which could reduce the amount of time GPs have to spend with patients with more serious medical conditions.

While corticosteroids may still play a role in other aspects of sore throat management due to their anti-inflammatory properties, such as for patients seen in hospital settings, or if a patient is unable to swallow or take other medications, GPs should continue to fall back on conventional wisdom for sore throat — over-the-counter painkillers, drinking plenty of fluids and time.

Is there a link between antibiotic use in gastrointestinal illness and complications such as arthritis and irritable bowel syndrome? DPhil student Seun Esan investigates. Readers' comments will be moderated - see our guidelines for further information. Hayward GN. Cookies on this website. Accept all cookies Reject all non-essential cookies Find out more.

News and opinion Opinion: Research and teaching blog Can steroids soothe the thorny issue of acute sore throat? Can steroids soothe the thorny issue of acute sore throat?

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Physicians may prescribe antibiotics for sore throats, although they have no Similar steroids include prednisone and methylprednisolone. Steroids are not currently recommended for routine use to treat symptoms of sore throat. This Cochrane review found that patients with severe or exudative sore. Physicians may prescribe antibiotics for sore throats, although they have no Similar steroids include prednisone and methylprednisolone. Steroids are not currently recommended for routine use to treat symptoms of sore throat. This Cochrane review found that patients with severe or exudative sore. Sore throat is one of the most common reasons for primary care appointments, and international guidance varies about whether to use. The risks may outweigh the benefits when larger doses are given to patients with multiple episodes of sore throat. At 48 hours, however, more participants receiving dexamethasone than placebo reported complete symptom resolution, whether or not they were offered delayed antibiotics.

Featured Issue Featured Supplements. Oxford, U. The answer is mixed, according to a new study appearing in JAMA. University of Oxford—led researchers determined that, as of 24 hours, patients at 42 family practices in South and West England who received dexamethasone had complete symptom resolution at no higher rates than those getting a placebo. At 48 hours, however, more participants receiving dexamethasone than placebo reported complete symptom resolution, whether or not they were offered delayed antibiotics.

Background information in the article describes how corticosteroids inhibit transcription of proinflammatory mediators in airway endothelial cells, which are responsible for pharyngeal inflammation and pain symptoms.

In the study, Treatment Options Without Antibiotics for Sore Throat TOAST , the primary objective was to determine whether adults with acute sore throat not requiring immediate antibiotic therapy would experience one-day symptom reduction with a single dose of oral dexamethasone versus placebo.

Results indicate that, at 24 hours, At 48 hours, Results also indicate that, in participants not offered delayed antibiotic prescription, the risk difference was In the U. Related Content. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.