Satomura Kazunari, Kitamura Tetsuhisa, Kawamura Takashi, Shimbo Takuro, Watanabe Motoi, Kamei Mitsuhiro, Takano Yoshihisa, Tamakoshi Akiko
Department of Public Health and International Health, Kyoto University School of Public Health, Kyoto, Japan.
Am J Prev Med. 2005 Nov;29(4):302-7. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2005.06.013.
Gargling to wash the throat is commonly performed in Japan, and people believe that such hygienic routine, especially with gargle medicine, prevents upper respiratory tract infections (URTIs). Its effectiveness, however, has not been established by clinical trials.
Randomized controlled trial carried out in 2002-2003 winter season and analyzed in 2003 and 2004.
Healthy volunteers (387) aged 18 to 65 years.
Participants were randomly assigned to water gargling, povidone-iodine gargling, and usual care (control). Subjects in the two gargling groups were requested to gargle with water or diluted povidone-iodine at least three times a day. Participants were followed for 60 days.
The primary outcome measure was first URTI incidence. Severity of URTI symptoms among incident cases was also evaluated. Both outcomes were assessed with a self-administered symptom record. Analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis.
A total of 130 participants contracted URTIs. The incidence rate of first URTI was 0.26 episodes/30 person-days among control subjects. The rate decreased to 0.17 episodes/30 person-days in the water gargling group, and 0.24 episodes/30 person-days in the povidone-iodine gargling group. Respective incidence rate ratios against controls were 0.64 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.41-0.99) and 0.89 (95% CI=0.60-1.33). A Cox regression (proportional hazard model) revealed the efficacy of water gargling (hazard ratio=0.60, 95% CI=0.39-0.95). Even when a URTI occurred, water gargling tended to attenuate bronchial symptoms (p=0.055).
Simple water gargling was effective to prevent URTIs among healthy people. This virtually cost-free modality would appreciably benefit the general population.
在日本，人们经常通过漱口来清洗喉咙，并且认为这种卫生习惯，尤其是使用漱口水，可预防上呼吸道感染（URTI）。然而，其有效性尚未通过临床试验得到证实。
于2002 - 2003年冬季进行随机对照试验，并于2003年和2004年进行分析。
18至65岁的健康志愿者（387名）。
参与者被随机分配至清水漱口组、聚维酮碘漱口组和常规护理组（对照组）。两个漱口组的受试者被要求每天至少用清水或稀释的聚维酮碘漱口三次。对参与者进行60天的随访。
主要观察指标为首次发生URTI的发生率。还对发病病例的URTI症状严重程度进行了评估。两种结果均通过自我管理的症状记录进行评估。分析基于意向性治疗原则进行。
共有130名参与者患上URTI。对照组首次URTI的发生率为0.26例/30人日。清水漱口组的发生率降至0.17例/30人日，聚维酮碘漱口组为0.24例/30人日。与对照组相比，各自的发生率比值分别为0.64（95%置信区间[CI]=0.41 - 0.99）和0.89（95%CI=0.60 - 1.33）。Cox回归（比例风险模型）显示清水漱口的有效性（风险比=0.60，95%CI=0.39 - 0.95）。即使发生URTI，清水漱口也倾向于减轻支气管症状（p=0.055）。
简单的清水漱口对预防健康人群的URTI有效。这种几乎免费的方式将使普通人群明显受益。
