Common cold in adults
EBM Guidelines
Aug 21, 2023 • Latest change Jun 5, 2024
Table of contents
Extract
- Acute nasal stuffiness and rhinitis, sore throat and cough are the most common symptoms.
- Viral infections should be differentiated from bacterial ones.
- Avoid unnecessary antimicrobial drugs Antibiotics are of no significant benefit in the common cold or acute purulent rhinitis, but patients in antibiotic treatment suffer from an increase in adverse effects.A.
- Identify recurrent or chronic infections.
- If the patient smokes, advise him/her to stop smoking.
Linked evidence summaries
- Antibiotics are of no significant benefit in the common cold or acute purulent rhinitis, but patients in antibiotic treatment suffer from an increase in adverse effects.A
- In general practice, CRP point-of-care testing compared with non-testing is effective in decreasing antibiotic prescriptions for lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) and acute maxillary sinusitis.B
- NSAIDs appear to be effective for relieving discomfort or pain and sneezing caused by the common cold. Their effect in relieving general respiratory symptoms such as cough or duration of colds is less clear.B
- Steam inhalation may provide some symptom relief for nasal congestion associated with common cold but the evidence is not unequivocal.C
- Multiple doses of nasal decongestants may have a small effect on subjective measures of nasal congestion in adults with the common cold.C
- Antihistamine-analgesic-decongestant combinations may have some general benefit for adults and older children with common cold.C
- Oral or intramuscular corticosteroids given in conjunction with antibiotic therapy appear to increase the likelihood of both resolution and improvement of pain in participants with sore throat.B↑
- There is no good evidence for or against the effectiveness of over-the-counter medications in acute cough.D
- Respiratory virus spread especially in younger children may be prevented by frequent handwashing with or without adjunct antiseptics. There is uncertainty about the effects of face masks. There were no clear differences between the use of medical/surgical masks compared with N95/P2 respirators in healthcare workers when used in routine care to reduce respiratory viral infection.C
- Vitamin C supplementation appears not to reduce the incidence of colds in the general population, yet vitamin C may be useful for people exposed to brief periods of severe physical exercise. There is a consistent effect of vitamin C on the duration and severity of colds in the regular supplementation studies, but this finding is not replicated in therapeutic trials.B
Search terms
Adenovirus, COVID, COVID-19, Coronavirus, EBV, Enterovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, Group A Streptococci, Group A Streptococcus, HMPV, Infectious diseases, Influenza, Influenza A, Influenza B, Influenza virus, J00, J06, J06.0, J06.89, J06.9, Maxillary Sinusitis, Metapneumovirus, Otorhinolaryngology, Parainfluenza, Parainfluenza virus, Peritonsillar Abscess, RSV, Respiratory syncytial virus, Respiratory tract Infections, Rhinovirus, SARS-CoV-2, Streptococci, URTI, Upper respiratory tract infection