{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,22]],"date-time":"2026-07-22T19:52:31Z","timestamp":1784749951268,"version":"3.55.0"},"reference-count":33,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,19]],"date-time":"2024-06-19T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1718755200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Pediatrica S.r.l."}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Pharmaceuticals"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Physicians are currently finding products for pediatric respiratory diseases of viral etiology to reduce the inappropriate use of antibiotic therapy. This study evaluated PediaFl\u00f9 (Pediatrica S.r.l.), a dietary supplement already on the market composed of honey, propolis, Pelargonium sidoides extract, and zinc (DSHPP), in children affected by acute tonsillopharyngitis (ATR). The open-label, randomized, and controlled study compared DSHPP + standard of care (SoC) versus SoC alone for six days. Children between 3 and 10 years with an ATR \u2264 48 h, a negative rapid test for beta-hemolytic Streptococcus, or a culture identification of nasal and\/or pharyngeal exudates were included. A tonsillitis severity score (TSS) and the number of treatment failures (using ibuprofen or high-dose paracetamol as rescue medication) were the primary endpoints. DSHPP+ SoC showed better performance than SoC alone for TSS sub-scores: throat pain and erythema on day 6 (p &lt; 0.001 and p &lt; 0.05), swallowing (p &lt; 0.01 on day 4), and TSS total score on days 4 and 6 (p &lt; 0.05 and p &lt; 0.001). Only one patient (SoC group) had treatment failure for ibuprofen administration. No adverse events were reported. DSHPP is an optimal adjuvant in the treatment of URTI and could potentially be useful in the daily clinical practice of paediatricians evaluating the correct antibiotic prescription.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ph17060804","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,20]],"date-time":"2024-06-20T05:27:19Z","timestamp":1718861239000},"page":"804","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":9,"title":["The Effectiveness of a Dietary Supplement with Honey, Propolis, Pelargonium sidoides Extract, and Zinc in Children Affected by Acute Tonsillopharyngitis: An Open, Randomized, and Controlled Trial"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"17","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6774-6152","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabio","family":"Cardinale","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Complex Operating Unit Paediatrics, Giovanni XXIII Paediatric Hospital, University of Bari, 70124 Bari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9931-6432","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Dionisio Franco","family":"Barattini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Opera Contract Research Organization, Tigermed Company, 300209 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-6189-006X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Valentina","family":"Martinucci","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pediatrica S.r.l., 57121 Livorno, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6928-9610","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Maria Morariu","family":"Bordea","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Cabinet Medical Medicina de Familie Dr Morariu Bordea, 300425 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-5568-5916","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Luca","family":"Barattini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Tigermed Italy S.r.l., 16129 Genova, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-7502-6908","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Serban","family":"Rosu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Oral and Cranio-Maxillo-Facial Surgery, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Victor Babes, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,6,19]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"ESCMID Sore Throat Guideline Group, Pelucchi, C., Grigoryan, L., Galeone, C., Esposito, S., Huovinen, P., Little, P., and Verheij, T. 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