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Zinc gluconate lozenges were not effective for treating the common cold in children and adolescents

https://doi.org/10.1136/ebn.2.1.13

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    Macknin ML, Piedmonte M, Calendine C, et al.Zinc gluconate lozenges for treating the common cold in children. A randomized controlled trial.JAMA1998 Jun 24;279:1962–7OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science

    Question Are zinc gluconate lozenges effective for reducing clinical symptoms in children and adolescents with the common cold?

    Design

    21 day randomised, double blind, placebo controlled trial.

    Setting

    2 suburban school districts in Cleveland, Ohio, USA.

    Patients

    249 students (median age 13 y, 52% girls, 92% white) who had ≥2 of the following symptoms: cough, headache, hoarseness, muscle ache, nasal congestion, nasal drainage, scratchy throat, sore throat, or sneezing. Exclusion criteria were oral temperature >37.7°C, previous use of zinc gluconate lozenges, pregnancy, known adverse reaction to zinc, known immune deficiency, other acute illness, or cold symptoms lasting >24 hours. Follow up was 96%.

    Intervention

    3.75 g, hard candy lozenges that were composed of sucrose, corn syrup, aminoacetic acid, cherry flavouring oils, and either zinc gluconate trichydrate, 10 mg or placebo (calcium lactate pentahydrate). Students were allocated to zinc lozenges (Cold-Eeze, Quigley Corporation, Doylestown, PA, USA) (n=125) or placebo lozenges (n=124) until their cold symptoms had been resolved for 6 hours. All students took …

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    Footnotes

    • Source of funding: Quigley Corporation, USA.

    • For correspondence: Dr M L Macknin, Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, A120, Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Cleveland, OH 44195, USA. Fax +1 216 445 3523.