Acetylcysteine and carbocysteine for acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections in paediatric patients without chronic broncho-pulmonary disease.

Acetylcysteine and carbocysteine are the most commonly prescribed mucolytic drugs in many European countries. To our knowledge, no systematic review has been published on their efficacy and safety for acute upper and lower respiratory tract infections (ARTIs) in children without chronic broncho-pulmonary disease.