Sinus infections viral

SINUS infections will most likely clear up without antibiotics and there is little evidence oral decongestants will help to relieve their symptoms, according to the UK National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).

New guidance from NICE for treating acute sinusitis says most patients will begin to feel better within two to three weeks and should be encouraged to use paracetamol.

Despite the established fact that the use of antibiotics in viral infections fuels antibiotic resistance, they are given to 91% of people who visit their GP with symptoms of sinusitis, NICE said.

See nice.org.uk for more info.

MEANWHILE , in a narrative review published in the In the Medical Journal of Australia lead author GP Professor Chris Del Mar said that in Australia, the antibiotic resistance crisis may be partly alleviated by reducing antibiotic use in general practice, which has relatively high prescribing rates.

Antibiotics are mostly prescribed for acute respiratory infections, for which they provide only minor benefits, Del Mar said.

He proposes measures to reduce the antibiotic habit, such as changing the default to “no repeats” in electronic prescribing, changing the packaging of antibiotics to facilitate tailored amounts for the right indication and restricting access to selected antibiotics to conserve them.

He makes a number of other recommendations including for future research - see mja.com.au.