When patients present with symptoms of a sore throat, an option for managing the pain  that is sometimes used is corticosteroids. A randomized trial of a 1-time dose of 10 mg in patients with moderate to severe pharyngitis who were deemed to not need antibiotics found higher rates of symptom resolution at 48 hours.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand potential benefits of corticosteroids for treatment of pain of acute pharyngitis
2. Understand limitations of evidence for benefit
3. Understand other options for symptom relief