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Antimicrobial treatment guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Antimicrobial treatment guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis To the Editor: The Journal published a set of sinusitis treatment guidelines, specifically addressing antibiotic selection in treating bacterial sinusitis. 1 Antibiotic therapy is a multibillion-dollar industry, and gui~lelines are known to shift highly coveted antibiotic market share. For this reason and the ostensible interest in good patient care, strict ethical standards must be followed in guideline development and publication. Any and all guideline relationships with the antibiotic manufacturing industry should be disclosed. Please fully disclose industry funding behind "Antimicrobial Treatment Guidelines for Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis" allowing readers to decide if educational grant sources affected guideline antibiotic selection. Michael S. Morris, MD, FACS Clinical Associate Professor Departments of Otolaryngology and Family Medicine Georgetown University Medical Center and Director of Medical Education Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Rockville, Maryland 0194-5998/2001/$35.00 +0 23/8/118179 doi: 10.1067/mhn.2001.118179
REFERENCES 1. Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership. Antimicrobial treatment guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surg 2000;123Supp12:l-32. 2. IRS Form990.Availableto the publicfrom the Sinus and Allergy Partnership, 1990 M St, NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Reply: The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership thanks Dr Morris for the opportunity to define exactly who we are and what we do. The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership (SAHP) was formed in 1998 through a collaborative initiative of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Rhinologic Society. Its purpose is to help promote the highest quality patient care of sinus and allergy disorders, particularly in cases that call for the expertise of an otolaryngologist. The SAHP's mission statement reflects this commitment:
To promote public and physician education, to further quality medical care, and to facilitate development of new knowledge of rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis through the unique expertise of otolaryngologists. The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership, Inc, is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service under Internal Revenue Code 501 (c)(6). This status acknowledges the SAHP's objective of supporting otolaryngology as the specialty dedicated to the treatment of sinus disease and allergic disorders involving the head and neck. In its first 2 years of existence, the SAHP has undertaken several initiatives, all of which underscore its commitment to furthering physician and patient education. The Distinguished Lecture Series, begun in 1999, was designed as an outreach mechanism to educate primary care physicians and other interested health care providers about disorders of the head and neck, specifically allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. This national grassroots campaign continues to assist otolaryngologists in increasing the understanding of diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, as well as appropriate referral practices. To date, the SAHP has sponsored more than 100 of these lectures, with countless others given using its materials. This year, it is focusing on educational outreach to nurse practitioners and physician assistants, in addition to primary care physicians. The Professor for a Day Program, also started in 1999, drafts academic otolaryngologists to present short informational lectures to family practice residents on rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis. In its first 18 months, the Professor for a Day program reached over 80 residency programs. The SAHP expanded it this year to include all family practice residency programs, not just those without an adjacent otolaryngology residency program. The SAHP's ongoing commitment to Patient Education has included public service announcements on radio stations around the country, nationally distributed newspaper articles and health alerts, and patientdirected materials for physicians. The SAHP's Website, www.allergysinus.org, is currently being revamped to serve physicians and patients as an informational resource and reference site for materials and articles concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sinus and allergy disorders.
435
Antimicrobial treatment guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis To the Editor: The Journal published a set of sinusitis treatment guidelines, specifically addressing antibiotic selection in treating bacterial sinusitis. 1 Antibiotic therapy is a multibillion-dollar industry, and gui~lelines are known to shift highly coveted antibiotic market share. For this reason and the ostensible interest in good patient care, strict ethical standards must be followed in guideline development and publication. Any and all guideline relationships with the antibiotic manufacturing industry should be disclosed. Please fully disclose industry funding behind "Antimicrobial Treatment Guidelines for Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis" allowing readers to decide if educational grant sources affected guideline antibiotic selection. Michael S. Morris, MD, FACS Clinical Associate Professor Departments of Otolaryngology and Family Medicine Georgetown University Medical Center and Director of Medical Education Shady Grove Adventist Hospital Rockville, Maryland 0194-5998/2001/$35.00 +0 23/8/118179 doi: 10.1067/mhn.2001.118179
REFERENCES 1. Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership. Antimicrobial treatment guidelines for acute bacterial rhinosinusitis. Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surg 2000;123Supp12:l-32. 2. IRS Form990.Availableto the publicfrom the Sinus and Allergy Partnership, 1990 M St, NW, Washington, DC 20036.
Reply: The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership thanks Dr Morris for the opportunity to define exactly who we are and what we do. The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership (SAHP) was formed in 1998 through a collaborative initiative of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy, the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, and the American Rhinologic Society. Its purpose is to help promote the highest quality patient care of sinus and allergy disorders, particularly in cases that call for the expertise of an otolaryngologist. The SAHP's mission statement reflects this commitment:
To promote public and physician education, to further quality medical care, and to facilitate development of new knowledge of rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis through the unique expertise of otolaryngologists. The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership, Inc, is an independent, not-for-profit organization and is granted tax-exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service under Internal Revenue Code 501 (c)(6). This status acknowledges the SAHP's objective of supporting otolaryngology as the specialty dedicated to the treatment of sinus disease and allergic disorders involving the head and neck. In its first 2 years of existence, the SAHP has undertaken several initiatives, all of which underscore its commitment to furthering physician and patient education. The Distinguished Lecture Series, begun in 1999, was designed as an outreach mechanism to educate primary care physicians and other interested health care providers about disorders of the head and neck, specifically allergic rhinitis and rhinosinusitis. This national grassroots campaign continues to assist otolaryngologists in increasing the understanding of diagnosis and treatment of these disorders, as well as appropriate referral practices. To date, the SAHP has sponsored more than 100 of these lectures, with countless others given using its materials. This year, it is focusing on educational outreach to nurse practitioners and physician assistants, in addition to primary care physicians. The Professor for a Day Program, also started in 1999, drafts academic otolaryngologists to present short informational lectures to family practice residents on rhinosinusitis and allergic rhinitis. In its first 18 months, the Professor for a Day program reached over 80 residency programs. The SAHP expanded it this year to include all family practice residency programs, not just those without an adjacent otolaryngology residency program. The SAHP's ongoing commitment to Patient Education has included public service announcements on radio stations around the country, nationally distributed newspaper articles and health alerts, and patientdirected materials for physicians. The SAHP's Website, www.allergysinus.org, is currently being revamped to serve physicians and patients as an informational resource and reference site for materials and articles concerning diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sinus and allergy disorders.
435