acute maxillary sinusitis
Reference
Comments/Instructions
Addendum 2011-12-17
Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2011 Dec 7;12:CD008115.
Current evidence suggests that oral corticosteroids as an adjunctive therapy to oral antibiotics are effective for short-term relief of symptoms in acute sinusitis. However, data are limited and there is a significant risk of bias. High quality trials assessing the efficacy of systemic corticosteroids both as an adjuvant and a monotherapy in primary care patients with acute sinusitis should be initiated.
Antibiotics for acute maxillary sinusitis
Antibiotics provide a minor improvement in simple (uncomplicated) sinus infections. However, 8 out of 10 patients improve without antibiotics within two weeks. The small benefit gained may be overridden by the negative effects of antibiotics, both on the patient and on the population in general.
In sinusitis, the membrane-lined air spaces near the nose become infected, which causes pain and discharge from the nose. There are four pairs of sinuses linked to the bony structures around the nose: the maxillary, frontal, ethmoidal and sphenoidal sinuses. Treatment options include antibiotics, decongestants, steroid drops or sprays, mucus-clearing drugs (mucolytics), antihistamines, or sinus puncture and lavage. This review found that antibiotics help some people a bit, but do not make a major difference to most people.
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- Ears Nose and Throat
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