Effect of Oral Dexamethasone Without Immediate Antibiotics vs Placebo on Acute Sore Throat in Adults A Randomized Clinical Trial
Gail Nicola Hayward, Alastair D. Hay, Michael V. Moore, Sena Jawad, Nicola Williams, Merryn Voysey, Johanna Cook, Julie Allen, Matthew Thompson, Paul Little,Rafael Perera, Jane Wolstenholme, Kim Harman, Carl Heneghan
Question: Does a single dose of dexamethasone in the absence of antibiotics provide symptom relief for acute sore throat in adults presenting to primary care? Findings: In this randomized clinical trial including 565 adults, the proportion of participants in the dexamethasone group achieving complete symptom resolution at 24 hours was not significantly different from those taking placebo. But at 48 hours significantly more in the dexamethasone group experienced complete resolution than did those in the placebo group. Meaning: Among adults presenting to primary care practices with acute sore throat, a single dose of oral dexamethasone did not increase the likelihood of symptom resolution at 24 hours but did increase the likelihood at 48 hours.