Sobrerol in Managing Acute Respiratory Infections in Clinical Practice During the “Cold” Season: An Italian Primary Care Experience

Abstract

Attilio Varricchio,1 Giorgio Ciprandi,2 Study Group on respiratory infection management in clinical practice included:Francesco Paolo Brunese, Luigi Costanzo, Lorenzo Cresta, Maurizio Daccò, Donatella Del Gaizo, Carla Dominici, Cosimo Lanza, Michele Lisco, Anastasia Matteucig, Carlotta Moretti On behalf of the Study Group on respiratory infection management in clinical practice1Department of Otolaryngology, University of Molise, Campobasso, Italy; 2Allergy Clinic, Casa di Cura Villa Montallegro, Genoa, ItalyCorrespondence: Giorgio Ciprandi, Casa di Cura Villa Montallegro, Genoa, Italy, Email [email protected]: Acute upper respiratory infections (AURI) represent a daily challenge in primary care practice. Mucus production may impair during AURI. Sobrerol is a muco-active agent that improves rheological characteristics and exerts other ancillary activities. The aim of this retrospective case–series study was to compare the efficacy and safety of different uses of sobrerol (only oral, only nebulized, and combined or standard treatment for infections alone) in patients with AURIs.Patients and Methods: The present clinical experience retrospectively collected clinical data of patients with AURIs visited by ten primary care doctors (pediatricians and general practitioners) over a long period. Patients could take standard therapy for infections, or as add-on: oral sobrerol, nebulized sobrerol, or combined oral and nebulized aerosol during the infection for 3 days.Results: Patients treated with combined oral and nebulized sobrerol experienced less intense symptoms, mainly concerning cough (p < 0.001) and nasal complaints (p = 0.043). In addition, the patients taking the combined therapy reported a more rapid disappearance of cough and nasal symptoms at day 7 than patients treated with the other options (OR 4.47 and 3.16, respectively).Conclusion: The current retrospective and observational study showed that a three-day combined (oral and nebulized) sobrerol course may represent a valuable add-on option in patients with AURIs.Keywords: acute upper respiratory infections, combined therapy, nebulization, oral formulation, primary care, sobrerol

Keywords

• acute upper respiratory infections
• combined therapy
• nebulization
• oral formulation
• primary care
• sobrerol.