Octinidine Gargles: A Boon in a Treatment of Acute Pharyngitis

Pharyngitis is a disorder commonly reported in ENT OPDs. The most common cause of Pharyngitis in India is Group A streptococcus, with prevalence rates of 13% in children aged 5–15%. It can also be attributed to various other bacterial, viral and fungal agents. Oral gargles are increasingly being used as a safe, effective, and non-invasive method for management. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of Octenidine gargles in cases of Acute Pharyngitis. The present study is a prospective double blinded randomised study done in a tertiary care hospital in Sitapur, UP between 1st January, 2022 to 30th June, 2022. Patients with acute pharyngitis were randomised into two groups- Octenidine and Placebo group and subsequently, the efficacy of octenidine was studied. The octenidine gargle group reported better improvement acute pharyngitis symptoms and a significantly shorter time to symptom resolution. The study suggests that Octenidine gargles are an effective treatment option for Acute Pharyngitis, providing significant symptom relief and a shorter time to resolution when compared to warm saline gargles.