TY - JOUR T1 - How effective are treatments other than antibiotics for acute sore throat? JF - British Journal of General Practice JO - Br J Gen Pract SP - 817 LP - 820 VL - 50 IS - 459 AU - M Thomas AU - C Del Mar AU - P Glasziou Y1 - 2000/10/01 UR - http://bjgp.org/content/50/459/817.abstract N2 - To estimate the benefits of treatments other than antibiotics for acute sore throat, and the differences between non-antibiotic interventions and controls in patient-perceived pain of sore throat, a systematic review of controlled trials in Medline and the Cochrane Library was carried out. Sixty-six randomised controlled trials (with or without additional antibiotics) were identified and 17 met the selection criteria. Twenty-two non-antibiotic managements for sore throat were compared. Their efficacy relative to placebo ranged from no effect to 93%. Some non-antibiotic treatments may be more effective than antibiotics; however, publication bias may have exaggerated the benefits. These treatments should be investigated further with respect to efficacy, safety, and side-effects as potential firstline management options for acute sore throat. ER -