Research on the Effectiveness of Using a Combined Medication Containing Quercetin, Vitamins C and D, and Zinc in the Treatment and Prevention of Acute Respiratory Viral Infections

Abstract

The objective: to evaluate the effectiveness of the combined medication, which includes ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), quercetin, and zinc oxide in the treatment and prevention of complications of acute respiratory viral infections (ARVI) at the outpatient level. Materials and methods. 5,982 patients (42.68% men and 57.32% women) aged 18 years and older with symptoms of ARVI participated in the study. The study was conducted in two stages: 1) diagnosis of ARVI and prescribing treatment, including a combined medication; 2) final assessment of the effectiveness, safety and tolerability of therapy. The total duration of participation in the study for one patient was no more than 1 month. In the complex treatment of ARVI at the outpatient level, according to the instructions, 1, 2 or 3 tablets per day were prescribed, depending on the severity of the course of the disease. The duration of treatment was from 5 to 30 days. 1 tablet of the combined medication includes ascorbic acid (vitamin C) – 100 mg, sodium ascorbate – 450 mg (equivalent to ascorbic acid – 400 mg), vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) – 1000 IU, quercetin – 250 mg, zinc oxide (equivalent to elemental zinc) – 10 mg. Efficacy was evaluated based on the frequency of bacterial complications of ARVI, which required the antibiotic therapy. The safety of the therapy was assessed by the frequency of adverse outcomes and their severity. Results. The main indication for the use of the combined medication was ARVI (83% of patients) without etiological clarification, 5% of patients were diagnosed with COVID-19 and 11% – influenza. In 6% of patients the drug was prescribed for prophylactic purposes and for non-infectious diseases. Clinical manifestations of acute bronchitis were found in 12% of patients with ARVI, acute sinusitis – in 8% of patients. Bacterial complications (pneumonia, otitis, bacterial sinusitis, and bronchitis) in which there is a need to use systemic antibiotics occurred in 4.79% (95% CI: 4.27–5.35%) of ARVI patients which have received the combined medication. The frequency of prescribing systemic antibiotics increased in proportion to the severity of the disease and the age of the patients. Adverse non-serious, rare side effects when using the combined medication were found in 0.56% of patients who participated in the study. Conclusions. The combined medication, which includes ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol), quercetin, zinc oxide, has good tolerance and can be recommended to alleviate the condition of patients with ARVI, prevent complications, shorten the duration of treatment and promote faster recovery of the patient.