Drug Resistance Questioned in Patients With Chronic Sinusitis

Patients with chronic sinus infections, known as chronic rhinosinusitis, do not appear to develop resistance to antibiotics taken over long periods of time, shows new research.

Researchers say guidelines recommend four to six weeks of antibiotics as a first-line treatment for chronic sinus infections before surgery is considered. However, they say little data exist on the appropriateness of this prescription.

Researchers studied results of 90 adult patients over seven years and about 2.5 microbiological sinus cultures was taken from each person every 157 days to measure the effectiveness of the drugs over time. The results showed no increase in severity of antimicrobial resistance, and in fact, many patients showed a less degree of antimicrobial resistance over time. The culture results were used to confirm the type of bacteria and need for antibiotics.