Predictors of duration of acute sinusitis episodes treated with antibiotics.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate which factors present at the onset of acute sinusitis predict the duration of illness among adult patients treated with antibiotics.


METHODS
Cohort study with a 30-day follow-up.


METHODS
Norwegian general practice.


METHODS
Eighty-six adult patients with a clinical diagnosis of acute sinusitis confirmed by Computed Tomography.


METHODS
Signs, symptoms and other variables present at the onset of treatment were dichotomized and analysed bivariately with duration of the sinusitis episode, using the log-rank test. Age, gender, and factors with p-values under 0.15 were modelled in a Cox regression analysis to assess independent predictors for illness duration.


METHODS
Duration of illness.


RESULTS
Illness duration was significantly and positively associated with increasing age and with a higher clinical severity score at the onset of treatment. No other factors were independent predictors of illness duration.


CONCLUSIONS
The age of the patient and the clinical severity of the sinusitis at the onset of treatment were independent predictors of illness duration in adult patients treated with antibiotics.
Lindbaek
M
M
Department of General Practice, University of Oslo, Norway.
Hjortdahl
P
P
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005194:Family Practice; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009664:Norway; D010404:Penicillin V / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011379:Prognosis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy*
D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D000658:Amoxicillin; D010404:Penicillin V