The treatment of mild upper respiratory tract infections - a position paper with recommendations for best practice.

Following the waning severity of COVID-19 due to vaccination and the development of immunity, the current variants of SARS-CoV-2 often lead to mild upper respiratory tract infections (MURTIs), suggesting it is an appropriate time to review the pathogenesis and treatment of such illnesses. The present article reviews the diverse causes of MURTIs and the mechanisms leading to symptomatic illness. Different symptoms of MURTIs develop in a staggered manner and require targeted symptomatic treatment. A wide variety of remedies for home treatment is available, including over-the-counter drugs and plant-derived substances. Recent pharmacological research has increased the understanding of molecular effects, and clinical studies have shown the efficacy of certain herbal remedies. However, the use of subjective endpoints in these clinical studies may suggest limited validity of the results. In this position paper, the importance of patient-centric outcomes, including a subjective perception of improved well-being, is emphasized. A best practice approach for the management of MURTIs, in which pharmacists and physicians create an improved multi-professional healthcare setting and provide healthcare education to patients, is proposed. Pharmacists act as first-line consultants and provide patients with remedies, considering the individual patient's preferences towards chemical or plant-derived drugs and providing advice for self-monitoring. Physicians act as second-line consultants if symptoms worsen and subsequently initiate appropriate therapies. In conclusion, general awareness of MURTIs should be increased amongst medical professionals and patients, thus improving their management.

Informations de copyright

Copyright © 2023 Smith A, Kardos P, Pfaar O, Randerath W, Estrada Riolobos G, Braido F, Sadofsky L.

Déclaration de conflit d'intérêts

Disclosure and potential conflicts of interest: This work was supported by Procter & Gamble International Operations SA, 47 Route de Saint-Georges, 1213 Petit-Lancy, Geneva, Switzerland. PK received consulting fees from Procter & Gamble, Klosterfrau, Schwabe and Bionorica as well as honoraria from Bionorica. OP reports personal fees from Procter and Gamble during the work presented. Furthermore, he reports grants and/or personal fees from ALK-Abelló, Allergopharma, Stallergenes Greer, HAL Allergy Holding, B.V./HAL Allergie GmbH, Bencard Allergie GmbH/Allergy Therapeutics, Lofarma, ASIT Biotech Tools S.A., Laboratorios LETI/LETI Pharma, GlaxoSmithKline, ROXALL Medizin, Novartis, Sanofi-Aventis and Sanofi-Genzyme, Med Update Europe GmbH, streamedup! GmbH, Pohl-Boskamp, Inmunotek S.L., John Wiley and Sons, AS, Paul-Martini-Stiftung (PMS), Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc., RG Aerztefortbildung, Institut für Disease Management, Springer GmbH, AstraZeneca, IQVIA Commercial, Ingress Health, Wort&Bild Verlag, Verlag ME, Altamira Medica AG, Meinhardt Congress GmbH, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Thieme, Deutsche AllergieLiga e.V., AeDA, Alfried-Krupp Krankenhaus, Red Maple Trials Inc., Technical University Dresden, ECM Expo & Conference Management, all outside the submitted work; and he is a member of EAACI, Excom and a member of the external board of directors for DGAKI. GER has received grants from GlaxoSmithKline, Chiesi, SEFAC, Arkopharma, Santen Innovation Labs, he has been a speaker at 3rd Congreso SEFAC-SEMERGEN and for Procter & Gamble International Operations, Arkopharma and Santen Innovation Labs as well as attended education events for GlaxoSmithKline and Chiesi and meetings for Procter & Gamble International Operations and SEFAC. FB has been on the scientific Board for AZ, BI, Chiesi, GSK, Menarini group, Sanofi and P&G; received honoraria from AZ, BI, Chiesi, GSK, Menarini group and Sanofi, and is the President of Interasma (Global Asthma Association). A consultancy fee was paid to Laura Sadofsky Procter & Gamble International Operations SA for services related to the European Experts Summit on Respiratory Tract Infections 2022. The International Committee of Medical Journal Editors (ICMJE) Potential Conflicts of Interests form for the authors is available for download at: https://www.drugsincontext.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/dic.2023-4-2-COI.pdf