Less Is More: New Study Shows Improvement Needed in Duration of Treatment for Sinus Infections

Over Two-Thirds of Antibiotic  Courses for Sinus Infections  Were Longer than Recommended

A new study in The Journal of the American Medical Association: Internal Medicine reports primary care physicians are prescribing longer durations of antibiotics for sinus infections than recommended by clinical practice guidelines.

As noted in a previous study, in the United States, antibiotics are prescribed more for sinus infections than any other illness. The Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) recommends treating acute sinus infections (sinusitis) with antibiotics for 5 to 7 days. This study reports that more than two-thirds (almost 70%) of antibiotic prescriptions, and 91% of non-azithromycin antibiotic prescriptions for sinus infections, were for 10 days or longer.

In addition, more than 20% of antibiotic prescriptions for sinus infections were for 5 days of azithromycin, even though guidelines recommend against prescribing azithromycin because of high rates of existing resistance to this drug and others in its class.

A key antibiotic stewardship principle is to use the shortest effective length of antibiotic treatment recommended by guidelines. Improving the way healthcare professionals prescribe antibiotics, and the way patients take antibiotics, helps keep us healthy now, helps fight antibiotic resistance, and ensures that life-saving antibiotics will be available for future generations. 

A new study shows almost 70% of #antibiotic prescriptions for sinus infections are for 10 days which is longer than the recommended 5-7 days of treatment. bit.ly/2HVKMGy