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A 2009 meta-analysis suggested that administration of corticosteroids for patients with acute pharyngitis increases the likelihood of pain resolution at 24 and 48 hours and hastens pain relief by approximately 6 hours, particularly in patients with positive bacteriologic tests or presence of exudate (JW Emerg Med Aug 28 2009). In the current study, researchers conducted a meta-analysis of the eight trials included in the prior analysis plus two additional randomized, controlled trials in which corticosteroids (alone or in combination with antibiotics) were compared to placebo or standard therapy in adults, children, or both.
The 10 studies involved 1096 patients. Seven studies used dexamethasone (0.6 mg/kg to a maximum of 10 mg orally), and …