A recent analysis published in the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews has found that antibiotics do not provide relief for the common cold or acute purulent rhinitis and may lead to increased side effects, particularly in adults.
The study reviewed data from more than 1,800 participants across several randomized controlled trials. Researchers from the University of Auckland identified six studies on the common cold involving 1,047 participants and five studies on acute purulent rhinitis with 791 participants. The trials compared antibiotic therapy with placebo in patients who had symptoms for less than a week for colds or less than ten days for purulent rhinitis.
The findings indicate that antibiotics are not effective at curing or improving symptoms of the common cold in either children or adults. In adults, antibiotic use was associated with a higher risk of adverse outcomes when compared to placebo. No significant side effects were observed among children given antibiotics for the common cold. Similar results were found for acute purulent rhinitis.
The authors note: "Antibiotics should not be prescribed for treating the common cold, as they will not improve patient symptoms while simultaneously increasing the risk of adverse effects."
There are some limitations in the available evidence, including methodological issues such as randomization methods, selection bias, and incomplete outcome data. Some participants also had bacterial diseases like streptococcal tonsillitis or bacterial sinusitis, which could have influenced results by overstating treatment effectiveness.
While current guidelines do not recommend antibiotics for these conditions, they have been based on limited evidence from smaller studies. This new review adds weight to existing recommendations against using antibiotics for viral upper respiratory tract infections and highlights concerns about antibiotic overuse contributing to resistance worldwide.
The researchers conclude that future studies are needed to better understand the role of bacteria in upper respiratory infections and to more carefully track adverse effects related to treatments.
