[Sinusitis in general practice--treatment and referral].

Sinusitis is usually diagnosed and treated in general practice. A questionnaire was sent to Norwegian general practitioners and to ear, nose and throat specialists to assess which treatment was preferred when treating patients with sinusitis. Penicillin is the drug chosen by both groups of doctors, with tetracycline in second place. A majority of the general practitioners state that they would prescribe 4 mill. IU per day, compared with the recommended 6-8 mill. IU. General practitioners with long clinical experience tend to prescribe tetracycline more often than the sample group of doctors as a whole. Various alternative treatments are used, but the majority of the general practitioners recommend only topical nasal decongestants and paracetamol. Systemic nasal decongestants are still considered relevant in the treatment of sinusitis. Less than half the general practitioners had treated children younger than 12 years of age for sinusitis. 63% state that they periodically treat patients with sinusitis after a consultation by telephone. While Norwegian general practitioners seldom refer patients with acute sinusitis to ear, nose and throat specialists, the majority of patients with recurrent sinusitis are referred.