Herbal medicine uses for upper respiratory diseases in pediatric practice

Introduction. The relevance of the problem of diseases of the upper respiratory tract is due not only to their high prevalence (60–90% in the structure of infectious diseases in children), the possibility of relapses during the year (in 20–65% of preschool children and in 15% of school-age children), but also to the development of complications that contribute to the delay of psychophysical development of children. It is important to ensure safe and effective treatment based on a comprehensive approach.

Aim. To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined-action herbal preparation in the treatment of upper respiratory tract diseases in children from 3 to 7 years old compared with standard pharmacotherapy methods.

Materials and methods. A retrospective-prospective study was conducted in children’s polyclinics and the Homeopathic Center in Samara. The study included 54 children (29 boys and 25 girls aged 3 to 7 years (mean age: 5.4 years) with acute pharyngitis and tonsillopharyngitis, divided into 2 groups: main group (n = 27) received Tonzilgon N, while control group (n = 27) received standard therapy. The treatment duration was 14 days. The patient’s medical and life history, as well as their complaints, were examined, and the severity of sore throat and cervical lymph node pain, as well as the presence of fever, were assessed. During the objective examination, attention was paid to the severity of the symptoms of intoxication and the enlargement of the cervical lymph nodes. In order to objectively assess the condition of the ENT organs, a pharyngoscopy was performed (to determine the degree of hypertrophy of the palatine tonsils, the condition of the mucous membrane of the oropharynx, and the presence of exudate). To evaluate the results of the clinical examination, a questionnaire was developed by the St. Petersburg Research Institute of Ear, Throat, Nose, and Speech of the Russian Ministry of Health.

Results. When assessing the severity of the disease, it was found that at the second visit, significantly more patients in the treatment group scored 2 points (74% vs. 11% in the control group), while in the control group, the vast majority of patients scored 3 points (89%). By the third visit, 85% of patients in the treatment group scored 0 points, while 67% of patients in the control group (p < 0.001) scored 1 point.

Conclusions. The study results confirmed the therapeutic efficacy and good tolerability of Tonsilgon N, allowing it to be recommended for the treatment of acute pharyngitis and tonsillopharyngitis in children aged 3–7 years.

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