ENT infections (tonsillitis, sinusitis)

Question 1

What are tonsillitis, otitis media and rhinosinusitis commonly caused by?

Answer 1

viral infections

Question 2

Who should antibiotics be reserved for?

Answer 2

immunocompromised
co-morbidities
severe infections
infections fail to resolve

Question 3

delayed prescription

Answer 3

collect antibiotics if symptoms not improve in 3 days

Question 4

Bacterial tonsillitis

Answer 4

Group A strep

strep pyogenes

Question 5

other bacterial causative agents

Answer 5

strep pneumoniae
H influenzae
moraxella catarrhalis
staph aureus

Question 6

criteria used for tonsillitis

Answer 6

centor criteria

Question 7

centor criteria

Answer 7

probability tonsillitis is bacterial and needs antibiotics

Question 8

centor criteria score

Answer 8

<3 = unlikely to benefit 
>3 = offer antibiotics

Question 9

centor criteria components

Answer 9

fever >38
tonsillar exudate
absence of cough
tender LN

Question 10

first line treatment bacterial tonsillitis

Answer 10

phenoxymethylpenicillin for 10 days

Question 11

alternative antibiotics for bacterial tonsillitis

Answer 11

co-amoxiclav
clarithromycin
doxycycline

Question 12

treating sinusitis

Answer 12

less than 10 days = none
2 weeks high dose steroid nasal spray
phenoxymethylpenicillin 5 days