CLINICAL PERSPECTIVES ON SINUSITIS AND OTITIS-MEDIA

As the leading cause of physician office visits and loss of time from school as well as the cause of significant morbidity among young child ren, respiratory infections impose a major burden on the health care s ystem. The most common causative pathogens are Streptococcus pneumonia e, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. In young children acute otitis media and sinusitis may present with relatively nonspeci fic symptoms such as irritability. Older children may complain of more specific problems; for example those with otitis media may complain o f otalgia. Upper respiratory tract infections are typically diagnosed by signs and symptoms and treated empirically with an antimicrobial ag ent that offers coverage of the usual causative respiratory pathogens.