As reported in NRP’s Shots health news blog, the American Academy of Pediatrics has revised its clinical practice guidelines for how long to wait before treating a child’s sinus infection with antibiotics. The new guidelines, published in Pediatrics, recommend waiting 13 days, rather than 10.
As noted in the NPR article, the doctors are trying to balance individual patients’ needs with the desire to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, which can reduce effectiveness.
Among other things, the revised guidelines also advise against the use of X-rays or other imaging to distinguish acute bacterial sinusitis from viral upper respiratory tract infections.
The guidelines were last revised in 2001.
