[Guidelines: Antibiotic treatment of infections of the head and neck: consensus report on behalf of the presidency of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery edited by P. Federspil, Homburg/Saar].

In 1999 the following guidelines were elaborated by a consensus conference of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery with delegates of 10 further societies and complemented by a Delphi procedure. In 2002 and 2008 up-dates were performed by the members of the consensus conference, the chair of the study group of ENT infectiology of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery and the presidency of the German Society of Oto-Rhino-Laryngology, Head and Neck Surgery. The guidelines concern the antibiotic treatment of bacterial infections of the ears, nose and throat, taking the expected spectrum of pathogens, the microbiological and clinical efficacy and the containment of costs into consideration. After specification of the basic principles, the various infections with their causative pathogens and the antibiotics coming into question for therapy are tabulated and a differentiation is made between the antibiotic or the antibiotics of first choice and alternatives. The different dosages of oral and parenteral antibiotics for adults and children are indicated. In the appendix the different groups of antibiotics are characterized concerning their antibacterial spectrum and pharmacokinetics and in particular the differences between the older and newer representatives of the groups are pointed out.