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Background and Objective: Viral upper respiratory tract infection and cold drugs consumption is prevalent among children. These drugs have no effect on disease improvement, but it may also have accompanied with many side effects. This study was conducted to compare the effect of honey and diphehydramine on the alleviation of cough in 2-5-year-old children with viral upper respiratory tract infection. Materials and Methods: This double-blind clinical trial study was carried out on 170 children (60 boys and 66 girls) aged 2-5 years old with viral upper respiratory tract infection who were taken to the pediatric clinic of Shariatee hospital in Bandar Abbas, Iran during 2010. Children demographic charactrastics were including age, gender, period of illness, vaccination history, weight, growth, overall health, and cardiopulmonary examinations. Patients were randomly divided into two groups of 63 children receiving honey (three times a day and the last dose an hour before bed) and diphehydramine syrup (5mg/kg/BW). Two days later, subjects were examined again for the severity and frequency of coughs during day and night. Data were analyzed using SPSS-19, independent t-test and chi-square test. Results: Mean±SD of the age of children was 45.21±11.39 and 43.98±11.95 months in honey and diphenhydramine groups, respectively. The frequency and severity of night coughs was lower in the honey group (97.4%) as compared to the diphenhydramine group (58.7%) (P<0.02). The frequency and severity of daily coughs was lower in the honey group (84.1%) while it was lower in 58.7% of the diphenhydramine group (P<0.01). Conclusion: This study showed that honey is more effective than diphenhydramine in the alleviation of cough caused by viral URTI in 2-5-year-old children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients commonly ask pharmacists for the over-the-counter medications when they get different ailments. Assessment of how a pharmacist evaluates a patient's signs and symptoms and his or her approach to treating the patient using over-the-counter medications were the main goals of this study. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, the scenarios on cough, diarrhea and Obesity were selected from questionnaires that had been responded by 61 pharmacists. The scenarios were then designed by determining important questions including the key question using appropriate references and the opinions of a panel of experts. Subsequently, a list of all pharmacies in Isfahan (Iran) was obtained and 210 pharmacies were randomly selected. Final analysis was made on 151 visits to 127 community pharmacies. Performance of pharmacists, i.e. the number and type of questions used to come up with a recommendation and the appropriateness of the decision, was assessed both strictly and leniently. Moreover, the length of time spent for counseling and influence of gender and ownership of pharmacists were analyzed. Findings: The mean counseling time was 130.2 ± 86.1 and 98.6 ± 72.4 seconds for female and male pharmacists, respectively (P = 0.01). The key questions for cough, diarrhea, and Obesity scenarios were asked by 29 (55%), 45 (87%), and 0 (0%) of pharmacists, respectively. The questions led to 25 (47%), 10 (19%), and 8 (17%) appropriate recommendations according to a lenient evaluation. Conclusion: Despite asking the key questions, the majority of pharmacists do not make appropriate recommendations for cough, diarrhea, and especially Obesity. Incorporating relevant courses in the pharmacy curricula and devoting continuing education seminars to over-the-counter medication usage are suggested to improve pharmacists' performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cough is one of the most common symptoms for which outpatient care is sought. Since, a few research evaluated efficacy and therapeutic effect of baclofen in remedy of cough (especially chronic cough), In this study we compared the efficacy of oral Baclofen 20 mg with Dextromethorphan to improvement of cough in two groups. Methods: In this double blind randomized clinical trial, 120 patients with chronic cough (up to three weeks) that were referred to respiratory diseases clinic of Ali Ebn-e Abitaleb (AS) hospital in Zahedan, Iran at 2007 were randomly devided to two groups. 60 peoples in each, (baclofen recipient group with mean age 32.32±6.51 and dextromethorphan recipient group with mean age 31.54±5.06 year) were evaluated for qualitative decline of severity, period and duration of cough for 14 days. Results: In baclofen recipient group 73.3% and in dextromethorphan recipient group 65% all patients had decline of severity, period and duration of the cough. Statistically, there were no significant differences between two groups in regard to qualitative decline of severity, period and duration of cough (p>0.05). Also, there were no drug related side effects in the patients. Conclusions: Baclofen decreased severity, period and duration of cough more than dextromethorphan. Because there were no significant differences between two groups, we needed to do more quantitative researches to compare them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]