Microbiology of sinusitis and the predictive value of throat culture for the aetiology of sinusitis.
A prospective study of throat cultures and maxillary sinus aspirates from children with chronic sinusitis (n = 21), acute sinusitis (n = 28) or a clinical diagnosis of chronic adenoiditis (n = 41) was performed. Seventy-two bacterial pathogens were isolated from sinus aspirates from 52% of the study population. Haemophilus influenzae was most common pathogen, followed by Moraxella catarrhalis, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus, and group A streptococci. Quantitative throat cultures had positive predictive values of 41%, 53% and 75% for H. influenzae, Strep. pneumoniae and M. catarrhalis, respectively, while negative predictive values were 93-98%, indicating that these three pathogens do not cause sinusitis when absent from the throat.
Ilki
A
A
Department of Microbiology, Marmara University, Istanbul, Turkey. ailki@superonline.com
Ulger
N
N
Inanli
S
S
Ozer
E
E
Arikan
C
C
Bakir
M
M
Soyletir
G
G
D000234:Adenoids / Q000382:microbiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006192:Haemophilus Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D006193:Haemophilus influenzae / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D001936:Moraxella catarrhalis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D045828:Moraxellaceae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology*; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020545:Respiratory Mucosa / Q000382:microbiology*; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology*; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000382:microbiology; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000302:isolation & purification