Bacterial Findings in Acute Maxillary Sinusitis—European Study

Bacteriology of acute maxillary sinusitis was studied in 569 patients in 16 centers of 6 countries located throughout Europe during 1992–1994 by ENT specialists. Patients with symptoms of acute sinusitis lasting less than 3 weeks with ongoing purulent nasal discharge were included. Diagnosis was verified by sinus x-ray or ultrasonography and a positive aspiration finding in maxillary sinus puncture. One or more pathogens were isolated from the maxillary sinus aspirates of 375 (66%) patients. Fifty-six percent of patients harboured 1 pathogen and 10% multiple pathogenic organisms, respectively. Haemophilus influenzae was the most common pathogen isolated (148 isolates), occurring as a single pathogen in 14% of the patients. The occurrence of H. influenzae was highest in Finnish military hospital patients (43–48%), as compared with the non-military Finnish patients (9–11%) or to patients from other European centers (mean 13%). H. influenzae was more frequently β-lactamase positive in other European centers ...