Nasal Steroids, Irrigation, Oral Antibiotics, and Subgroup Targeting for Effective Management of Acute Sinusitis
Daniel Merenstein
Summary
Sinus infections (also called acute rhinosinusitis or ARS) affect about 15% of adults each year, and are one of the top reasons people receive antibiotics in outpatient settings. Since most sinus infections are caused by viruses, many patients who take antibiotics for this condition do not actually benefit. Even though this has decreased over recent years, 70% of people are still prescribed them after a visit for ARS. Our goal is to better understand which patients truly benefit from antibiotics and which other treatment options can help people with sinus infections.
Description
One in seven adults are diagnosed with acute sinus infections (also known as rhinosinusitis or ARS) every year in the United States, for an annual total of 30 million office visits. The majority of physician-diagnosed, acute sinus infections in outpatient setting are caused by viral infection, but antibiotics are prescribed in over 70% of these visits--without significant benefits to patients compared to placebo. Most ARS cases resolve without antibiotics; however, some patients do benefit from antibiotics. Previous research suggests that individuals with an elevated c-reactive protein level,…