Carr Brandon C
University of Alabama at Birmingham, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Emergency Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama 35233, USA.
Curr Opin Pediatr. 2006 Apr;18(2):184-8. doi: 10.1097/01.mop.0000193274.54742.a1.
Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are widely prescribed by general pediatricians in order to relieve cough and other symptoms in the setting of upper respiratory infections. This article will review the pharmacologic components found in over-the-counter cough medicines, the data concerning their use and efficacy in children, the increasing trend of abuse of these medications, and their potential toxicity.
There is an overall paucity of data evaluating the use of over-the-counter cough medicines in children as well as a lack of evidence for their efficacy. The articles cited will review the efficacy of over-the-counter cough medicines, the emerging trend of abuse of certain preparations such as dextromethorphan, and specific cases of morbidity and even mortality.
According to the limited data that exist, there is not any evidence that over-the-counter cough and cold medicines are effective in children. In otherwise healthy children without chronic complicating factors such as asthma, the symptoms of acute upper respiratory infections are generally mild and self-limited. Pediatricians must weigh the benefits against the potential risks of recommending over-the-counter cough medicines and should be prepared to educate parents about the expected natural course of their child's illness and the likelihood that these medications will be minimally effective in relieving symptoms, if at all.
普通儿科医生广泛开具非处方止咳和感冒药，以缓解上呼吸道感染时的咳嗽及其他症状。本文将综述非处方止咳药中的药理成分、有关其在儿童中使用及疗效的数据、这些药物滥用的上升趋势及其潜在毒性。
总体而言，评估非处方止咳药在儿童中使用情况的数据匮乏，且缺乏其疗效的证据。所引用的文章将综述非处方止咳药的疗效、右美沙芬等某些制剂滥用的新趋势以及发病甚至死亡的具体案例。
根据现有有限数据，没有证据表明非处方止咳和感冒药对儿童有效。在没有哮喘等慢性复杂因素的健康儿童中，急性上呼吸道感染的症状通常较轻且具有自限性。儿科医生必须权衡推荐非处方止咳药的益处与潜在风险，并应准备好向家长说明孩子疾病的预期自然病程以及这些药物缓解症状（如果有效果的话）的效果可能微乎其微。
