Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40376625›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in pediatrics2025

Phytotherapy for acute respiratory tract infections in children: a systematically conducted, comprehensive review.

Wolfgang Kamin, Georg Seifert, Karl Zwiauer, Jan Bonhoeffer, Veerle De Ketelaere, Antonio D'Avino, Jakub Štádler, Juan Carlos Bustamante-Ogando, Ateş Kara

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in pediatrics, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Wolfgang KaminDepartment of Pediatrics, Clinic for Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, EVK Hamm, Hamm, Germany.
Georg SeifertDepartment of Pediatrics with a Focus on Oncology and Hematology, Campus Virchow-Klinikum (CVK), Charité-University Medicine Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
Karl ZwiauerClinical Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, St. Pölten University Hospital, Sankt Pölten, Austria.
Jan BonhoefferDepartment of Infectiology and Vaccinology, University Children's Hospital of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
Veerle De KetelaerePediatric Practice, Veldegem, Belgium.
Antonio D'AvinoFIMP (Italian Federation of Primary Care Pediatricians), National Health Care Service, Naples, Italy.
Jakub ŠtádlerChildren's Immunology and Allergy Outpatient Centre, MY CLINIC Family Medical Clinic, Prague, Czechia.
Juan Carlos Bustamante-OgandoPrimary Immunodeficiencies Research Laboratory, National Institute of Pediatrics, Mexico City, Mexico.
Ateş KaraDepartment of Pediatrics, Pediatric Infectious Disease, Hacettepe University, Ankara, Türkiye.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: The need to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotics for the treatment of pediatric acute respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) calls for therapeutic alternatives. The use of herbal medicines (phytopharmaceuticals) to treat ARTIs has increased worldwide. However, the evidence of phytopharmaceutical treatment, especially for children with ARTIs, has not yet been comprehensively presented. Objective: To identify evidence on the efficacy and tolerability of phytopharmaceuticals in children suffering from ARTIs. Methods: We searched the literature using two databases (PubMed and Cochrane Library) in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines to identify records of clinical studies investigating the administration of phytopharmaceuticals in children with upper ARTIs (AURTIs) and/or lower ARTIs (ALRTIs). Results: A total of 45 reports met the eligibility criteria and were included in our review. Of these, only nine reported double-blind, placebo-controlled trials investigating the efficacy and tolerability of phytopharmaceuticals in pediatric ARTIs. Overall, the included reports covered phytopharmaceuticals with the following single active ingredients: various purple coneflower ( Conclusion: Among the phytopharmaceuticals identified by our systematically conducted, comprehensive literature review, EPs 7630 is supported by sufficient evidence to be regarded as an appropriate treatment to reduce the severity and duration of AURTIs and ALRTIs in children. Regarding other phytopharmaceuticals reported in the literature for the treatment of pediatric ARTIs, further research is needed to close existing evidence gaps.

Indexed as

acute respiratory tract infectionsantibiotic resistancechildrencomplementary therapiesherbal medicinephytomedicinephytotherapy

Identifiers

PMID40376625
PMCPMC12078267

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.