Year: 1999 Vol. 65 Ed. 3 - (3º)
Artigos Originais
Pages: 217 to 219
Acute Sinusites in Aricrew: A Retrospective Study of 131 Cases.
Author(s):
Fernando C. Ribeiro* ;
Antonio Eduardo A. da Morta** ;
AneteTrajman***;
Ellzabeth Fuzimoto****;
Paulo M. Alves*****
Keywords: sinusites, antibiotics, steroids, aerospatial medicine
Abstract:
The optimal tratment of acute sinusits among aircrew is not established. The aim of this study was to evaluate the best choice of antibiotics and the usefulness of systemic steroids in the treatment of acure sinusitis in this population. A retrospective study of 131 episodes of acure sinusites, in 116 flight attendants was performed during a period of two years. We compared the duration of medical leave according to the choice of antibiotics and the use of systemic steroids. The need for a second course of antibiotics was also used to evaluate the efficacy of the antibiotics used. The association of amoxicillin/clavulanate was the first choice in the majority of the cases (36%). Systemic steroids were associated in 44% of patients. A second course of antibiotics was necessary in 52.4% of patients initially treated with macrolides, contrasting to a 17.3% failure rate with nonmacrolide antibiotics (p=0.02). The mean duration of medical leave was 11.3 ± 7.4 days for patients on macrolides as compared to 10.1 ± 5.0 days for patients on other antibiotics (p=0.84). The association of systemic steroids reduced the time of medical leave from 10.6 ± 4 to 9.8 ± 5.6 days but this did not reach statistical significance (p=0.13). We conclude that the duration of medica] leave is independent of the choice of antibiotics or the association of systemic steroids. Nevertheless, macrolides should not be used as a first choice treatment of acure sinusitis in aircrew, since it failed in over 50% of patients.
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