Systemic corticosteroid therapy for acute sinusitis

Abstract

CLINICAL QUESTION: Are oral or parenteral corticosteroids associated with improved clinical outcomes in patients with acute sinusitis compared with placebo or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)? BOTTOM LINE: Oral corticosteroids combined with antibiotics may be associated with modest benefit for short-term relief of symptoms in adults with severe symptoms of acute sinusitis compared with antibiotics alone. Oral corticosteroids as monotherapy are not associated with improved clinical outcomes in adults with clinically diagnosed acute sinusitis.