Nutritional supplements as adjunctive therapy for children with chronic/recurrent sinusitis: pilot research.
OBJECTIVE
Inflammation and edema of the sinonasal mucosa are important in the pathophysiology of sinusitis. Based on the similarities between otitis media (OM) and sinusitis, and our previous research on OM, we hypothesized that nutritional supplements would be effective adjunctive therapy for the treatment of children with chronic/recurrent sinusitis.


METHODS
We performed a 4 month, open-label, dose-titration study; subjects were enrolled from late January to early March 2003. Each subject served as his own control. Study supplements were a lemon-flavored cod liver oil and a children's multivitamin-mineral with selenium, prescribed in escalating doses; at higher doses, fish oil was substituted for cod liver oil. Subjects were private pediatric otolaryngology outpatients with a clinical diagnosis of chronic/recurrent sinusitis, whose symptoms were refractory to treatment with antibiotics.


RESULTS
Our four subjects were Caucasian males, ranging in age from 4.2 to 9.8 years, with chronic/recurrent sinusitis for at least 3 years prior to entry in the study. Three subjects had a positive response; one subject dropped out for administrative reasons. Four, six, and eight weeks after beginning study supplements, the responders had decreased sinus symptoms, fewer episodes of acute sinusitis, and fewer doctor visits for acute illnesses. Their parents reported that they had begun to recover from upper respiratory illnesses without complications, which was unusual for these children, as was improvement in springtime; their improvement had previously been limited to the summer months or periods of home-schooling.


CONCLUSIONS
Use of flavored cod liver oil and a multivitamin-mineral with selenium as adjunctive therapy for children with chronic/recurrent sinusitis is an inexpensive, non-invasive intervention that clinicians can use for selected patients, pending the performance of definitive, large, well-controlled studies.
Linday
Linda A
LA
Department of Otolaryngology, The New York Eye and Ear Infirmary, NY, USA. lal14@columbia.edu
Dolitsky
Jay N
JN
Shindledecker
Richard D
RD
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003060:Cod Liver Oil / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012643:Selenium / Q000627:therapeutic use; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014807:Vitamin D / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014815:Vitamins / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D014807:Vitamin D; D003060:Cod Liver Oil; D012643:Selenium