Complications of Sinusitis

Although acute bacterial sinusitis (ARS) is a common ailment with an often-predictable course and outcome, its complications are exceedingly rare and unpredictable (occurring once in every 95,000 pediatric hospital admissions). The incidence of complications has declined significantly since the advent of antibiotics but has maintained a plateau over the past few decades. However, they are especially important because they can have devastating outcomes including blindness, neurologic morbidity, and even death. Therefore, early recognition of the signs and symptoms is critical as prompt medical and/or surgical treatment can lead to better outcomes.