Physician specialty is associated with differences in the evaluation and management of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis

Acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) is a common illness that is routinely managed by physicians from several different specialties. However, the actual diagnostic and treatment preferences of physicians from these different specialties are not known.

To determine whether the radiographic evaluation and management of community-acquired ABRS differs according to medical specialty.

Randomized survey of 450 board-certified physicians in the United States from family medicine, general internal medicine, and otolaryngology.

Responding physicians' use of diagnostic radiography as well as choice and duration of antimicrobial and adjunctive treatments of ABRS.

Otolaryngologists were more likely to use supportive diagnostic radiography (P =.04). They were also more likely to treat patients with adjunctive therapy, such as topical decongestants (P =.01), guaifenesin (P =.01), and saline nasal irrigation (P =.01), in addition to antibiotics. Otolaryngologists prescribed more medications to treat patients with ABRS than primary care physicians (P =.01). There were no significant differences in diagnosis and management by family physicians and general internists.

Otolaryngologists use more health care resources to diagnose and treat ABRS than primary care physicians despite an absence of evidence that such tests and treatments lead to better outcomes. Otolaryngologists typically treat a patient population with a higher prevalence of ABRS and frequently see referred patients with recurrent acute sinusitis and chronic rhinosinusitis, which may explain their tendency to treat patients more aggressively. Nevertheless, these survey results illustrate a lack of consensus within the medical community regarding the evaluation and management of community-acquired ABRS, suggesting that widely accepted evidence-based practice guidelines need to be developed.