Diagnosis and treatment of acute sinusitis by Danish general practitioners
Hansen, J.G.; Schmidt, H.
Ugeskrift for Laeger 156(13): 1934-5 1938-40
1994
ISSN/ISBN: 0041-5782 PMID: 7516592 Document Number: 438670
We studied Danish general practitioners' (GP) weighting of symptoms, clinical findings and use of paraclinical investigations when diagnosing acute sinusitis in adults. Questionnaires were sent to 300 representative GPs. Sixty-seven percent answered the questionnaire. The GPs weighted pain and tenderness on application of pressure over the sinuses as the most important symptom and finding. Only a few used paraclinical investigations. The GPs estimated their own diagnostic certainty as being 70%. Detumescent nose-drops were prescribed in 95% of the cases, and antibiotic treatment was given in 50%, most frequently as V-penicillin.