The National Institutes of Health, through the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Center on Complementary and Alternative Medicine, and the Office of Dietary Supplements, is now sponsoring a placebo-controlled, blinded clinical trial comparing St. John's wort to a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis . In treating uncomplicated acute bacterial sinusitis, inexpensive antibiotics like amoxicillin and folate inhibitors are just as effective as newer and more expensive antibiotics such as third generation cephalosporins. However, for many patients with acute sinusitis, symptoms will resolve without any antibiotics. These are the major findings of a study by the New England Medical Center Evidence-based Practice Center .
Acute sinusitis is one of the most common primary care problems in the United States.
Millions of cases occur each year, affecting all age groups and all segments of the general population. Even though sinusitis is so common, its management is challenging. If the sinusitis is not caused by bacteria, treatment with antibiotics will have limited or no effect and may have adverse side effects. However, because patients with bacterial sinusitis may develop a more serious sinus infection, it is important to properly diagnose and treat these patients. The Center's report focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of uncomplicated, community-acquired, acute bacterial sinusitis in children and adults.