SynthesisBMJ (Clinical research ed.)2009
Corticosteroids for pain relief in sore throat: systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in BMJ (Clinical research ed.), 2009. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 26 papers, 8 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
26 citing papers in PubMed, 8 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 76 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness and Safety of Antibiotic Therapy Combined with NSAIDs or SAIDs in Osteomyelitis of the Oral and Maxillofacial Region: A Systematic Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Pooled it
- Corticosteroids as standalone or add-on treatment for sore throat.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2020Pooled it
- Corticosteroids for treatment of sore throat: systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2017Pooled it
- Corticosteroids for the common cold.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2015Pooled it
- Systemic corticosteroids for acute sinusitis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- Soothing a sore throat: the efficacy and safety of steroids in acute pharyngitis.Irish journal of medical science · 2011Pooled it
- Sore throat.BMJ clinical evidence · 2011Pooled it
- Intranasal corticosteroids in management of acute sinusitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Annals of family medicinePooled it
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- Tranexamic Acid for Acute Upper Respiratory Tract Infection-Associated Sore Throat Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Journal of general and family medicine · 2026Article
- Effectiveness of Pulse Intravenous Infusion of Methylprednisolone on Pain in Patients with Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Randomized Controlled Trial.Anesthesiology and pain medicine · 2024Article
- In Ear Surgeries Intravenous Dexamethasone Preoperatively Decreases Post Operative Sore Throat After Endotracheal Intubation in Adult Patients: A Prospective Randomized Control Study.Indian journal of otolaryngology and head and neck surgery : official publication of the Association of Otolaryngologists of India · 2021Article
- Article
- Economic analysis of oral dexamethasone for symptom relief of sore throat: the UK TOAST study.BMJ open · 2018Article
- Corticosteroids for sore throat: a clinical practice guideline.BMJ (Clinical research ed.) · 2017Article
- The Efficacy of Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Peritonsillar Abscess: A Meta-Analysis.Clinical and experimental otorhinolaryngology · 2016Review
- The efficacy of systemic corticosteroids in treatment of respiratory tract infections during hajj 2012.Iranian Red Crescent medical journal · 2015Article
Corrections and comments
- Commented on by
- Commented on by
- Commented on by
- Erratum issued
Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 3 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveTo evaluate whether systemic corticosteroids improve symptoms of sore throat in adults and children.
designSystematic review and meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES: Cochrane Central, Medline, Embase, Database of Reviews of Effectiveness (DARE), NHS Health Economics Database, and bibliographies. OUTCOME MEASURES: Percentage of patients with complete resolution at 24 and 48 hours, mean time to onset of pain relief, mean time to complete resolution of symptoms, days missed from work or school, recurrence, and adverse events.
resultsWe included eight trials, consisting of 743 patients in total (369 children, 374 adults). 348 (47%) had exudative sore throat, and 330 (44%) were positive for group A beta-haemolytic streptococcus. In addition to antibiotics and analgesia, corticosteroids significantly increased the likelihood of complete resolution of pain at 24 hours (four trials) by more than three times (relative risk 3.2, 95% confidence interval 2.0 to 5.1), and at 48 hours (three trials) to a lesser extent (1.7, 1.3 to 2.1). Corticosteroids (six trials) reduced mean time to onset of pain relief by more than 6 hours (95% confidence interval 3.4 to 9.3, P<0.001), although significant heterogeneity was present. The mean time to complete resolution was inconsistent across trials and a pooled analysis was not undertaken. Reporting of other outcomes was limited.
conclusionsCorticosteroids provide symptomatic relief of pain in sore throat, in addition to antibiotic therapy, mainly in participants with severe or exudative sore throat.
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Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.