Summerlin Jenna, Eiland Lea S
Pharmacy Practice Division (JS), The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX.
Department of Pharmacy Practice (LSE), Auburn University Harrison College of Pharmacy, Auburn, AL.
J Pediatr Pharmacol Ther. 2025 Feb;30(1):17-26. doi: 10.5863/1551-6776-30.1.17. Epub 2025 Feb 10.
Children often experience viral illnesses causing respiratory symptoms. Frequently, nonprescription medications are used in an attempt to decrease the severity and frequency of cough and cold symptoms. Cough and cold medications (CCMs) are not appropriate for all age groups and can have serious adverse effects, including death, especially when used incorrectly. Data surrounding the safety and efficacy of CCMs in patients younger than 6 years are lacking. Currently, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend the use of cough and cold products that contain an antihistamine or decongestant in children younger than 2 years. Other treatments used by patients for cold symptoms include non-pharmacologic therapies or complementary alternative medications (CAMs), such as zinc or echinacea. Given this is a common ailment for pediatric patients, pharmacists should be knowledgeable about the risks and benefits of each of these therapies to make safe recommendations for patients and their families. This review discusses various cough and cold therapies and the recommendations for their use in pediatric patients.
儿童经常经历引起呼吸道症状的病毒性疾病。通常，人们会使用非处方药来试图减轻咳嗽和感冒症状的严重程度及发作频率。止咳和感冒药并不适用于所有年龄组，并且可能会产生严重的不良反应，包括死亡，尤其是使用不当的时候。缺乏关于6岁以下患者使用止咳和感冒药的安全性和有效性的数据。目前，美国食品药品监督管理局（FDA）不建议2岁以下儿童使用含有抗组胺药或减充血剂的止咳和感冒产品。患者用于治疗感冒症状的其他疗法包括非药物疗法或补充替代药物（CAMs），如锌或紫锥菊。鉴于这是儿科患者的常见疾病，药剂师应该了解每种疗法的风险和益处，以便为患者及其家人提供安全的建议。本综述讨论了各种止咳和感冒疗法及其在儿科患者中的使用建议。
