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Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158:222-224.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

The double-blind placebo, randomized controlled study by Cohen et al¹ investigated the effectiveness of Chizukit (Hadas Corp Ltd, Yokneam, Israel), an herbal preparation of echinacea, propolis, and vitamin C, in preventing respiratory tract infection in children. This study enrolled 430 children, aged 1 to 5 years, from 10 primary care community clinics in Israel. Children were randomized to treatment or placebo groups and followed up for a 12-week period during the respiratory season. There were several primary outcomes, but the main outcomes studied were the number and duration of illness episodes. Children treated with Chizukit had a statistically significant reduction in the number and duration of illness episodes when compared with children treated with a placebo. We appraised the article for validity and generalizability using the Users' Guide to the Medical Literature articles about therapy or prevention.^2-3

WAS THE STUDY RANDOMIZED?

The purpose of randomization is to ensure balance between study groups for baseline . . . [Full Text of this Article]

WERE GROUPS SIMILAR AT THE START OF THE STUDY?

WAS THE STUDY BLINDED?

WAS FOLLOW-UP COMPLETE AND ADEQUATE AND WERE ALL PATIENTS KEPT IN THE GROUPS TO WHICH THEY WERE ASSIGNED?

ASIDE FROM THE INTERVENTION BEING STUDIED, WERE THE PATIENTS TREATED IDENTICALLY IN THE DIFFERENT GROUPS?

WHAT WERE THE RESULTS?

WERE ALL CLINICALLY IMPORTANT OUTCOMES REPORTED?

WOULD THESE RESULTS APPLY TO MY PATIENTS?

DID THE TREATMENT CAUSE HARM THAT MIGHT OUTWEIGH THE BENEFIT FOR MY PATIENT(S)?

DOES THIS STUDY ANSWER THE ORIGINAL CLINICAL QUESTION AND IS THE ANSWER MEANINGFUL?
Shilpa Sangvai, MD; Jennifer Chianese, MD; Natalia Morone, MD; Debra L. Bogen, MD; Laura Voigt, MD; Nader Shaikh, MD, MPH
Pittsburgh, Pa

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RELATED ARTICLE

Effectiveness of an Herbal Preparation Containing Echinacea, Propolis, and Vitamin C in Preventing Respiratory Tract Infections in Children: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-Controlled, Multicenter Study
Herman A. Cohen, Itzchak Varsano, Ernesto Kahan, E. Michael Sarrell, and Yosef Uziel
Arch Pediatr Adolesc Med. 2004;158(3):217-221.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT