Antibiotics ineffective against viral sinus infections
As antibiotics are ineffective against a vast majority of sinus infections caused by viruses, they should not be used in their treatment, new guidelines released by the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) suggest.
Although sinus infections are the fifth leading reason for antibiotics prescriptions, 90 to 98 percent of cases are caused by viruses, which are not affected by antibiotics. Nearly one in seven people are diagnosed with a sinus infection each year.
The guidelines - the first developed by IDSA on this topic - provide specific characteristics of the illness to help doctors distinguish between viral and bacterial sinus infections.
Most sinus infections develop during or after a cold or other upper respiratory infection, but other factors such as allergens and environmental irritants may play a role, the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases reported.
Used inappropriately, antibiotics foster the development of drug-resistant superbugs, said university statement.
"There is no simple test that will easily and quickly determine whether a sinus infection is viral or bacterial, so many physicians prescribe antibiotics 'just in case,'" said Anthony W. Chow, professor emeritus of infectious diseases at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, who led the study.
"However, if the infection turns out to be viral - as most are - the antibiotics won't help and in fact can cause harm by increasing antibiotic resistance, exposing patients to drug side effects unnecessarily and adding costs," said Chow.
The guidelines recommend treating bacterial sinus infections with amoxicillin -clavulanate versus the current standard, amoxicillin. The addition of clavulanate helps to overcome antibiotic resistance by inhibiting an enzyme that breaks down the antibiotic.
The guidelines also recommend against using other commonly used antibiotics, including azithromycin, clarithromycin and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, due to increasing drug resistance.
The recommendation to use amoxicillin-clavulanate instead of amoxicillin is a major shift from older guidelines developed by other organizations.
Source:North America News.Net
- 457 reads
