ArticleThe British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners2012
Steam inhalation therapy: severe scalds as an adverse side effect.
Article in The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
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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
9 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Herbal Inhalation Therapy for Allergic Rhinitis: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Evaluation of Comparative Efficacy of Polyherbal Steam Inhalation Versus Polyherbal Nasal Fumigation (Dhoopana) in Children With Rhinitis (Pratishyaya): Protocol for an Open-Label Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2025Article
- The multifaceted benefits of passive heat therapies for extending the healthspan: A comprehensive review with a focus on Finnish sauna.Temperature (Austin, Tex.) · 2024Review
- Article
- Data on steam inhalation in combating CoVid-19.Bioinformation · 2022Article
- Home remedy or hazard?: management and costs of paediatric steam inhalation therapy burn injuries.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2016Article
- Closing evidence to practice gaps: an end to an attack of the vapours?The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2016Article
- The common cold: potential for future prevention or cure.Current allergy and asthma reports · 2014Review
- Steam inhalation therapy.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2012Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundSteam inhalation therapy is often recommended in the treatment of a common cold. However, it has no proven benefit and may in fact have serious adverse side effects in terms of burn injuries.
aimTo quantify the human and economic costs of steam inhalation therapy in terms of burn injury. DESIGN AND
settingA prospective database study of all patients admitted to the burn centres (Beverwijk, Groningen, Rotterdam) and the hospital emergency departments in the Netherlands.
methodNumber and extent of burn injuries as a result of steam inhalation therapy were analysed, as well as an approximation made of the direct costs for their medical treatment.
resultsAnnually, on average three people are admitted to in one of the Dutch burn centres for burns resulting from steam inhalation therapy. Most victims were children, and they needed skin grafting more often than adults. The total direct medical costs for burn centre and emergency department treatment were €115,500 (£93,000), emotional costs are not reflected.
conclusionAs steam inhalation therapy has no proven benefit and the number and extent of complications of this therapy in terms of burn injury are significant, especially in children, steam inhalation therapy should be considered a dangerous procedure and not recommended anymore in professional guidelines and patient brochures.
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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.