"Persistent post-infectious cough" is better treated by which one? Prednisolone, Honey, Coffee, or Honey plus coffee: A meta-analysis

Abstract

<span style="font-size:9.0pt;mso-bidi-font-size:11.0pt;color:windowtext" lang="EN-US">Cough is a common symptom of upper respiratory tract infection. One of the causes of chronic cough is persistent post-infectious cough (PPC). PPC is a cough that persists longer than three weeks after a "common cold". PPC has poor response to routine treatments. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the therapeutic effects of prednisolone, coffee, honey, and "honey plus coffee" in the treatment of PPC. This was a Meta-analysis of three double blind randomized clinical trials conducted on 245 adult participants presenting PPC during an eight-year period from 2005 to 2013. The included participants were assigned into five groups. For each group a special jam-like paste was prepared. Every participant was told to dissolve 25 grams of his/her prescribed product in 200 mL of warm water and drink it every eight hours for one week. All the participants were evaluated before the treatment and two weeks later, to measure the severity of their cough. Comparing the effectiveness of all five regimens, this study found "honey with coffee" as the most effective treatment modality for PPC. Honey plus coffee can successfully treat PPC at a short time. So, it is recommended.

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