The efficacy of antibiotic therapy for acute sinusitis is controversial. This study aimed to compare the efficacies of amoxicillin with nasal irrigation and nasal irrigation alone for acute sinusitis in children.

This randomized, double-blind, controlled study included 80 children aged 4-15 years with a clinical presentation of acute sinusitis. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either amoxicillin (80 mg/kg/day) in 3 divided doses orally for 14 days with saline nasal irrigation (for 5 days) and 0.25% phenylephrine (for 2 days) or the same treatment without amoxicillin. Clinical improvements in their initial symptoms were assessed on days 3, 14, 21, and 28.

On day 3, patients in the amoxicillin with nasal irrigation group showed significant clinical improvement ( P =0.001), but there was no significant difference in the degree of improvement between the amoxicillin with nasal irrigation and nasal irrigation alone groups during follow-up ( P >0.05). In addition, no significant differences were seen in age, sex, and degree of improvement between groups ( P >0.05).

High-dose amoxicillin with saline nasal irrigation relieved acute sinusitis symptoms faster and more often than saline nasal irrigation alone. However, antibiotic treatment for acute sinusitis confers only a small therapeutic benefit over nasal irrigation.