The use of co-trimazine once daily in acute otitis media and maxillary sinusitis in children

Acute sinusitis in children: current treatment strategies

Acute sinusitis is a very common infection in childhood, but its management remains a controversial issue. Antibacterials may be effective in selected children, but direct evidence is limited. One randomized, placebo-controlled trial has shown that amoxicillin or amoxicillin/clavulanate are better than placebo for children with symptoms of nasal discharge and cough that are persistent (over 10 days) and not improving. However, another placebo-controlled trial of the same agents did not demonstrate any benefit from antibacterials in a patient population selected with a clinical diagnosis of sinusitis of moderate severity, based on a composite clinical symptom score. A systematic assessment of cure rates with various antibacterials shows no consistent differences between classes. Evidence on the use of ancillary measures and nasal corticosteroids is also limited. The only randomized, placebo-controlled trial of antihistamines and decongestants has shown no incremental benefit when given in addition to amoxicillin. Another placebo-controlled randomized trial showed some transient symptomatic improvement with the use of nasal corticosteroids. No randomized trials exist on the use of antral lavage in children with acute sinusitis. The current rates of antimicrobial resistance among commonly implicated pathogens should be considered in therapeutic decisions. However, there is no evidence from well-designed trials on specifically how to manage children at high risk of carrying resistant organisms. The inaccuracy of clinical signs and symptoms in documenting the diagnosis further complicates therapeutic decisions. Nevertheless, radiographic assessment does not meaningfully improve the accuracy of the diagnosis for uncomplicated cases, and it is not cost effective. In the absence of definitive evidence, treatment with amoxicillin 45 mg/kg/day in two divided doses may be used in selected patients with symptoms that are persistent and not improving. High doses (90 mg/kg in two divided doses) may also be considered, and amoxicillin/clavulanate may be a more appropriate choice when there is high risk of resistant pathogens, e.g. in a child attending a childcare center, or recent use of antibacterials. However, a considerable proportion of children, especially those with mild or improving symptoms, may not have to be treated at all.

Technical report: evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of acute uncomplicated sinusitis in children: a systematic overview

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate and analyze the existing evidence for the diagnosis and treatment of acute uncomplicated sinusitis in children.

DESIGN

A systematic overview and meta-analysis considered all pertinent studies with at least 10 children younger than 18 years with acute symptoms of <30 days and without serious complications.

OUTCOMES

Clinical improvement rates for intervention studies of antibiotics or ancillary measures; concordance of diagnostic tests (expressed as likelihood ratios).

RESULTS

Of 1857 citations originally reviewed, we identified 21 qualifying studies, compared with 450 reports on complications of acute sinusitis and 233 nonsystematic reviews of the subject. The qualifying studies included 5 randomized, controlled trials and 8 case series on antibiotic therapy, 3 randomized, controlled trials on ancillary treatments, and 8 studies with information on diagnostic tests (including 3 therapeutic trials). Definitions and inclusion criteria were heterogeneous across studies. The pooled clinical improvement rate with antibiotics was 88% (177/202) in randomized, controlled trials and 92% (318/345) in nonrandomized studies; the improvement rates on no antibiotics were 60% and 80%, respectively. Improvement rates were significantly higher in nonrandomized studies (Mantel-Haenszel odds ratio: 1.79; 95% CI: 1.05-3.04, stratified for use of antibiotics). Data on ancillary measures were sparse and heterogeneous. In studies comparing clinical findings with plain film radiography, the pooled rate of abnormal radiographic findings against a clinical diagnosis of sinusitis was 73% (596/814; range: 55% to 96% between studies). There was poor concordance between clinical criteria, plain radiographs, ultrasonography, computed tomography, and fluid on aspiration in all available paired assessments (all positive likelihood ratios were </=4 and all negative likelihood ratios were >/=0.2).

CONCLUSIONS

Good, high-quality evidence for acute uncomplicated sinusitis in children is limited. Diagnostic modalities show poor concordance, and treatment options are based on inadequate data. More evidence is needed for defining the optimal treatment and diagnostic methods for this common condition.

Sulphadiazine/trimethoprim once daily in maxillary sinusitis: a randomized double-blind comparison with sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim B.I.D

In a randomized double-blind study fifty-four patients suffering from acute maxillary sinusitis were treated for 10 days with daily doses of sulphadiazine/trimethoprim (1 g) and sulphamethoxazole/trimethoprim (1.92 g), respectively. The efficacy was evaluated clinically at two follow-up visits. X-ray investigations were performed at admission and after the therapy. Of thirty-nine patients finally evaluated, thirty-seven showed a favourable result. After 6-8 days of therapy there was significant difference in cure rates in favour of sulphadiazine/trimethoprim (p less than 0.05) while the outcome as evaluated after treatment was similar for both drugs.