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Acupoint Catgut Embedding Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Managing Allergic Rhinitis

Acupoint Catgut Embedding Therapy in Traditional Chinese Medicine for Managing Allergic Rhinitis

Published on: December 20, 2024

Steroids for acute sinusitis.

A Zalmanovici¹, J Yaphe

¹Rabin Medical Center, Dept. of Family Medicine, Clalit Health Service, Tel-Aviv Region, Beilingson Campus, Petach Tikva, Israel. anca_z@hotmail.com

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

|April 20, 2007

Summary

Intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) offer a modest benefit in relieving acute sinusitis symptoms. Evidence supports their use, with higher doses showing a stronger effect and no significant adverse events reported.

Area of Science:

Otolaryngology
Allergy and Immunology
Pharmacology

Background:

Acute sinusitis is a prevalent condition causing significant symptoms and leading to work and school absences.
It is a frequent reason for primary care consultations.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the efficacy of intranasal corticosteroids (INCS) in alleviating acute sinusitis symptoms.
To analyze symptom resolution, improvement rates, and adverse events associated with INCS treatment.

Main Methods:

A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing INCS to placebo for acute sinusitis.
Search of major databases including Cochrane Central Register, MEDLINE, and EMBASE.
Inclusion criteria required radiological or endoscopic confirmation of acute sinusitis.

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Main Results:

Four well-designed RCTs involving 1943 participants met the criteria.
INCS treatment resulted in a higher likelihood of symptom resolution or improvement compared to placebo (73% vs. 66.4%).
Higher doses of INCS demonstrated a more pronounced effect on symptom relief; no significant adverse events or differences in dropout/relapse rates were observed.

Conclusions:

Limited but supportive evidence suggests INCS are effective for acute sinusitis confirmed by radiology or endoscopy.
INCS can be used as monotherapy or as an adjunct to antibiotic treatment.
Clinicians should consider the moderate benefits against potential minor adverse events when prescribing INCS.