Patient's question:
Please ask about the treatment methods for pediatric sinusitis?Doctor's answer:
Oral anti-inflammatory drugs are administered, and a 1% mixture of ephedrine and nitrofurazone is instilled into the nose. At the same time, treatments such as positional drainage and negative pressure replacement are applied. Regardless of the method used, early and active treatment is essential.Children with acute sinusitis are primarily treated conservatively. Regardless of whether complications are present, sufficient and effective antibiotics or sulfonamide drugs should be actively administered. Local medications focus on ventilation and drainage, such as using 0.5%–1% ephedrine physiological saline for nasal sprays or drops. Nasal drops should be avoided in young children to prevent damage to the cilia of the nasal mucosal epithelium, which could lead to medication-induced rhinitis. Local heat applications and nasal steam inhalation may also be performed. In some cases, acute sinusitis in children may resolve on its own as the underlying condition improves.
The treatment of chronic sinusitis in children can involve multiple methods. Vasoconstrictors can be instilled into the nose, and systemic antiallergic drugs may be used if allergic factors are present. Children aged 6 and older with chronic sinusitis may undergo negative pressure replacement therapy. For chronic sinusitis with enlarged palatine tonsils, early tonsillectomy combined with adenoidectomy should be considered. For persistent pediatric sinusitis, nasal septum correction, inferior turbinate nasal window surgery, or polypectomy may be considered under strict indications. For chronic maxillary sinusitis that does not improve with treatment, maxillary sinus puncture and irrigation followed by the injection of antimicrobial drugs into the sinus are effective methods. However, this procedure should be performed with caution to avoid complications, and puncture should be done under general anesthesia. To avoid repeated general anesthesia and punctures, after the first puncture yields pus, a plastic tube can be left in place for maxillary sinus irrigation, i.e.,