Antibiotics for sinusitis-like symptoms in primary care

More than 90% of patients with sinusitis-like symptoms are managed entirely in family practice without recourse to further investigations apart from point-of-care testing such as for C-reactive protein, which is commonly used in Scandinavia and some other European countries. As with many other common infections, sinusitis is challenging for clinicians because many patients expect antibiotic treatment and associate the drug with recovery. At the same time, evidence mounts that antibiotics confer little average benefit. However, a possible benefit in subgroups has not been ruled out. This article from today's Lancet may not be applicable to the US because too few patients have family doctors and are more likely to expect antibiotic use than in the UK. (Volume 371, Issue 9616, 15 March 2008-21 March 2008, Pages 874-876 )