Complementary and alternative medicine in the (symptomatic) treatment of acute tonsillitis in children: A systematic review

Rebecca Büttner; Melanie Schwermer; Thomas Ostermann; Alfred Längler; Tycho Zuzak

doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102940

Complementary and alternative medicine in the (symptomatic) treatment of acute tonsillitis in children: A systematic review

Complement Ther Med. 2023 May:73:102940. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102940. Epub 2023 Mar 1.

Authors

Rebecca Büttner¹, Melanie Schwermer², Thomas Ostermann³, Alfred Längler¹, Tycho Zuzak⁴

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pediatrics, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, Germany; Professorship for integrative Pediatrics, Witten/Herdecke University, Faculty of Health, Germany.
² Department of Pediatrics, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, Germany; Professorship for integrative Pediatrics, Witten/Herdecke University, Faculty of Health, Germany. Electronic address: M.Schwermer@gemeinschaftskrankenhaus.de.
³ Department of Psychology, Chair of Research Methodology and Statistics in Psychology, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.
⁴ Department of Pediatrics, Gemeinschaftskrankenhaus Herdecke, Germany; Faculty of medicine, University of Duisburg Essen, Germany.

PMID: 36868289
DOI: 10.1016/j.ctim.2023.102940

Abstract

Background: Acute tonsillitis (including tonsillopharyngitis) in childhood is a common disease with a peak of illness in school-age. Most of these cases have a viral origin and antibiotic therapy is not indicated, therefore, effective symptomatic therapy is required. For this reason, complementary, alternative and integrative medicine therapies might be a solution.

Objective: The aim of this review is to demonstrate study status of such therapies.

Methods: The databases PubMed, Cochrane Library, OVID, CAMbase, CAM-QUEST® and Anthromedics were systematically screened for studies investigating complementary, alternative and integrative therapy approaches in paediatric cohorts. Studies were analyzed by therapy approach, study design, cohort and outcome, using the PRISMA 2020 checklist.

Results: The systematic literature search resulted in 321 articles. Five publications corresponded to the search criteria and were assigned to the following specific therapeutic categories: herbal medicine (3), homeopathy (1) and ayurvedic medicine (1). Clinical trials were found for the herbal compounds BNO 1030 (Impupret®) and EPs® 7630 (Umckaloabo), the homeopathic complex Tonzolyt® and the ayurvedic medicine Kanchnara-Guggulu and Pratisarana of Tankana‑Madhu. Antimicrobial effects of essential oils and carvacrol as single agents as well as in combination with erythromycin were analysed in an in vitro study.

Conclusion: Clinical studies indicate an improvement of symptoms and a good tolerability of all investigated remedies of complementary, alternative and integrative medicine in the treatment of tonsillitis in childhood. Nevertheless, quality and quantity of the studies were insufficient to make a reliable conclusion regarding effectiveness. Therefore, more clinical trials are urgently needed to achieve a meaningful result.

Keywords: Child; Complementary and alternative medicine; Integrative medicine; Sore throat; Tonsillitis; Tonsillopharyngitis.

Publication types

Systematic Review
Review

MeSH terms

Child
Complementary Therapies* / methods
Homeopathy*
Humans
Tonsillitis* / drug therapy