Is antibiotic treatment of chronic sinusitis effective in children?

ABSTRACT

A double-blind randomized controlled trial on 79 patients aged between 2 and 12 years with chronic sinusitis showed no significant advantage of adding antibiotics to the treatment by sinus lavage. The prognosis after both 6 and 12 weeks was worse for patients with bilateral opaque sinus radiographs. Half of the Branhanmella catarrhalis cultured in this study were beta-lactamase producing organisms, therefore antibiotics prescribed for this group of children should be chosen bearing this in mind.