OzEMedicine - Wiki for Australian Emergency Medicine Doctors

see also:

• croup
• bronchiolitis
• asthma
• pneumonia
• pertussis (whooping cough)
• RCH guideline - cough
• Aust Presc 2009 - cough and cold remedies for children:
  • nasal saline drops are effective for chronic rhinosinusitis
  • physiotherapy is only effective for cough due to suppurative lung disease
  • honey may help cough but should not be used in infants under 12 months age due to risk of infantile botulism
  • steam and vapor are not effective and risk burns
  • children under 2 years of age, or those with neurological disorders, seizures, hypotonia, heart disease or those at risk of respiratory depression should NOT be given cough and cold medicines.
  • cough and cold medicines should not be recommended for ANY children as minimal benefit and significant risks of adverse events including unintentional overdosage, drowsiness, nervousness, insomnia, headache, anticholinergic effects and also sudden infant deaths.