Prophylactic antibiotics in endoscopic sinus surgery: a short follow-up study.
BACKGROUND
The study was designed to assess the usefulness of postoperative antibiotics in patients undergoing endoscopic sinus surgery (ESS).


METHODS
The effects of antibiotics in the postoperative period of ESS patients were evaluated in a prospective, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Fifty patients were treated with amoxicillin/clavulanate for 2 weeks after ESS, while the other half received placebo. Preoperatively, the symptom, endoscopic, and CT scores were recorded. In the postoperative period, symptom and endoscopic scores were recorded on the 5th, 12th, 21st, and 30th days. In estimating the length of the blood crust formation episode, a Kaplan-Meier plot was used.


RESULTS
Seventy-five patients completed the study: forty in the antibiotic-treated group and thirty-five in the placebo group. On the 5th day, nasal obstruction and drainage were significantly better in the antibiotic-treated group. In addition, a statistically significant difference in the endoscopic scores was noted between the treatment and placebo groups on days 5 and 12.


CONCLUSIONS
The use of an antibiotic (amoxicillin/clavulanate) in the postoperative period is able to improve the outcome in the early blood crust healing phase: nasal obstruction and drainage are reduced and the endoscopic score objectively showed a faster recovery.
Albu
Silviu
S
Second Department of Otolaryngology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. silviualbu63@gmail.com
Lucaciu
Roxana
R
D000328:Adult; D000658:Amoxicillin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D019072:Antibiotic Prophylaxis; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019818:Clavulanic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004724:Endoscopy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006261:Headache; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015508:Nasal Obstruction; D010256:Paranasal Sinuses / Q000187:drug effects / Q000382:microbiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013530:Surgical Wound Infection; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D019818:Clavulanic Acid; D000658:Amoxicillin