BACKGROUND: Dried ivy leaf extract EA 575® (Prospan®) is commonly used to treat coughs and may help reduce inappropriate antibiotic use for the common cold. This retrospective study investigated whether prescribing EA 575 is associated with reduced subsequent antibiotic use in children and adolescents with the common cold. Repeated EA 575 prescriptions were also analyzed to estimate treatment satisfaction.

METHODS: Data were sourced from the IQVIA Disease Analyzer database, including patients under 18 diagnosed with a common cold and prescribed either EA 575 or antibiotics between 2017 and 2020 (index date). Propensity score matching controlled for confounding factors. Antibiotic prescriptions were assessed 4-30 and 31-365 days after the index date, along with bacterial infections 4-40 days post-index. Repeated EA 575 prescriptions 2-5 years post-index were analyzed as a proxy for treatment satisfaction.

RESULTS: Overall, 10,390 children and adolescents were included in each matched cohort. Compared to antibiotics, EA 575 prescriptions were associated with significantly lower odds of antibiotic use 4-30 days (OR: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.49-0.64; p < 0.001) and 31-365 days (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.54-0.62; p < 0.001) after the index date. The odds of bacterial infection 4-30 days after EA 575 prescription were also lower (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.45-0.99; p = 0.047). Of the 42,677 patients in the EA 575 analysis, 50.5% had at least one repeated prescription, with the highest rates among children aged 0-2 years (54.7%) and the lowest in those aged 13-17 years (19.9%).

CONCLUSIONS: EA 575 prescription was associated with reduced subsequent antibiotic use in children and adolescents with common colds. Frequent repeated prescription rates emphasize the therapeutic value of EA 575 as a treatment option for cold symptoms, especially in younger children.