title: Diagnostic accuracy of history and physical examination in bacterial acute rhinosinusitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of symptoms, the symptom progression pattern, and clinical signs in identifying bacterial acute rhinosinusitis (ARS).
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an inception cohort study among 50 military recruits with ARS.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected symptoms daily from the onset of symptoms to approximately 10 days. At 9 to 10 days, standardized data on symptoms and physical findings were gathered. A positive culture of maxillary sinus aspirate was considered to be the reference standard for bacterial ARS.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At 9 to 10 days, the presence or deterioration after 5 days of any of the symptoms could not be used to diagnose bacterial ARS. Toothache had an adequate positive likelihood ratio (positive likelihood ratio [LR+] 4.4) but was too rare to be used for screening. In contrast, several physical findings at 9 to 10 days were of more diagnostic use and frequent enough for screening. Moderate or profuse (vs. none/minimal) amount of secretion in nasal passage seen in anterior rhinoscopy satisfactorily either ruled in, if present (LR+ 3.2), or ruled out, if absent (negative likelihood ratio 0.2), bacterial ARS. If any secretion was seen in the posterior pharynx or middle meatus, the probability of bacterial ARS increased markedly (LR+ 5.3 and LR+ 11.0, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found symptoms or their change to be of little use in identifying bacterial ARS. In contrast, we observed several clinical findings after 9 to 10 days of symptoms to predict bacterial ARS quite accurately.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu.
authors.forename: Timo J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Autio
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu.|Air Force Command Finland, Finnish Defence Forces, Finland.
authors.forename: Timo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koskenkorva
authors.affiliation: Centre for Military Medicine, Finnish Defence Forces, Finland.
authors.forename: Mervi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Närkiö
authors.affiliation: Air Force Command Finland, Finnish Defence Forces, Finland.
authors.forename: Tuomo K
authors.initials: TK
authors.lastname: Leino
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu.
authors.forename: Petri
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Koivunen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology and Medical Research Center Oulu, Oulu University Hospital and University of Oulu, Oulu.
authors.forename: Olli-Pekka
authors.initials: OP
authors.lastname: Alho
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008443:Maxillary Sinus / Q000382:microbiology*; D008889:Military Personnel; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012220:Rhinitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acute rhinosinusitis; bacterial; clinical signs; cohort study; diagnosis; likelihood ratio; physical examination; sensitivity; specificity; symptoms