Nonpharmacological home remedies for upper respiratory tract infections: a cross-sectional study of primary care patients in Switzerland and France.
common cold
cough
home remedy
primary care
sore throat
upper respiratory tract infection
Journal
Family practice
ISSN: 1460-2229
Titre abrégé: Fam Pract
Pays: England
ID NLM: 8500875
Informations de publication
Date de publication:
23 Nov 2023
23 Nov 2023
Historique:
medline:
27
11
2023
pubmed:
13
8
2023
entrez:
13
8
2023
Statut:
ppublish
Résumé
Many patients might be tempted to use nonpharmacological home remedies (NPHRs) to relieve upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms. However, primary care physicians (PCPs) rarely recommend NPHRs due to a lack of knowledge in this field. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey among primary care patients in Switzerland and France to explore which NPHRs they use and consider effective for 3 common URTI symptoms: sore throat/cough/common cold. Using official physician registries, we randomly selected 50 PCPs in Geneva (Switzerland) and Lyon/Grenoble (France). Seven research assistants were involved in the recruitment of consecutive patients from the waiting rooms of these PCPs (20-25 patients per practice). Patients were asked to complete a paper-based questionnaire to assess the use and perceived effectiveness of 72 NPHRs for URTI symptoms. The list of NPHRs was developed by our research team with the help of 97 patients. Remedies were considered effective if patients reported that they were effective/very effective. Data were analysed descriptively. Of the 1,198 eligible patients, 1,012 agreed to participate (84.5%). The 4 most frequently used NPHRs were honey/lemon/thyme/herbal teas. Most patients using these NPHRs considered them as effective (between 77% of patients for onion syrup for cough and 94% of patients for thyme inhalations for common colds). Many patients reported using honey/lemon/thyme/herbal teas for URTI symptoms, and generally considered these treatments to be effective. Future research should explore the extent to which these remedies can be safely proposed as alternatives for the symptomatic treatment of ear/nose/throat complaints in primary care.
Sections du résumé
BACKGROUND
BACKGROUND
Many patients might be tempted to use nonpharmacological home remedies (NPHRs) to relieve upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms. However, primary care physicians (PCPs) rarely recommend NPHRs due to a lack of knowledge in this field. We conducted a questionnaire-based survey among primary care patients in Switzerland and France to explore which NPHRs they use and consider effective for 3 common URTI symptoms: sore throat/cough/common cold.
METHODS
METHODS
Using official physician registries, we randomly selected 50 PCPs in Geneva (Switzerland) and Lyon/Grenoble (France). Seven research assistants were involved in the recruitment of consecutive patients from the waiting rooms of these PCPs (20-25 patients per practice). Patients were asked to complete a paper-based questionnaire to assess the use and perceived effectiveness of 72 NPHRs for URTI symptoms. The list of NPHRs was developed by our research team with the help of 97 patients. Remedies were considered effective if patients reported that they were effective/very effective. Data were analysed descriptively.
RESULTS
RESULTS
Of the 1,198 eligible patients, 1,012 agreed to participate (84.5%). The 4 most frequently used NPHRs were honey/lemon/thyme/herbal teas. Most patients using these NPHRs considered them as effective (between 77% of patients for onion syrup for cough and 94% of patients for thyme inhalations for common colds).
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS
Many patients reported using honey/lemon/thyme/herbal teas for URTI symptoms, and generally considered these treatments to be effective. Future research should explore the extent to which these remedies can be safely proposed as alternatives for the symptomatic treatment of ear/nose/throat complaints in primary care.
Identifiants
pubmed: 37573550
pii: 7241820
doi: 10.1093/fampra/cmad084
pmc: PMC10667067
doi:
Substances chimiques
Teas, Herbal
0
Types de publication
Journal Article
Langues
eng
Sous-ensembles de citation
IM
Pagination
564-568Subventions
Organisme : Faculty of Medicine of the universities of Geneva, Lyon, and Grenoble
Informations de copyright
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press.
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