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Guidelines target unnecessary pediatric antibiotic use for sinusitis
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Guidelines that focus on the severity of acute uncomplicated sinusitis in children can help identify those who will benefit from antimicrobial therapy and reduce unnecessary use of antibiotics, according to a technical report published in Pediatrics.
“Acute bacterial sinusitis is reported as a complication of 5% to 10% of upper respiratory tract infections in children and is one of the more common indications for antibiotic use in the United States,” said Michael J. Smith, MD, MSCE, assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Louisville School of Medicine.
This technical report is an update to the 2001 report accompanying the AAP published clinical practice guidelines for the management of acute bacterial sinusitis in children.
According to Smith, data are limited to help guide diagnosis and treatment of acute bacterial sinusitis in children. Results of the four placebo-controlled studies of antimicrobial therapy in children vary.
“It is clear that some children with sinusitis benefit from antibiotic use and some do not,” Smith wrote.
See the full report for more information.
Disclosure: The researcher reports no relevant financial disclosures.
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