Treatment of Acute Sinusitis in Childhood with Ceftibuten

Abstract

Acute sinusitis is a common childhood illness. If it is overlooked or undertreated, suppurative and intracranial complications may develop. Amoxicillin has traditionally been the antibiotic of choice for treatment of acute sinusitis. However, the efficacy of amoxicillin has been reduced because of the emergence of bacteria producing b-lactamase and altered penicillin-binding proteins. This study compares the effectiveness of 10, 15, and 20 days of ceftibuten therapy with 14 days of erythromycin-sulfisoxazole therapy in treating acute sinusitis. The results indicate that both treatment regimens are effective in treating acute sinusitis (96% clinical response for erythromycin-sulfisoxazole vs 92% for a 10-or 15-day course of ceftibuten vs 100% for a 20-day course of ceftibuten). Longer treatment periods may be more effective in resolving the acute illness.