Background: Rhinosinusitis is an inflammation of the sinonasal cavity which affects roughly one in seven people. Acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) is mostly, apart from allergic etiology, caused by a viral infection and, in some cases (0.2 - 2 %), by a bacterial superinfection. Antibiotics, indicated only in rare cases according to EPOS guidelines, are nevertheless prescribed in more than 80% of ARS cases, which increases the resistant bacterial strains in the population.
Results: We have developed the clinical decision support system (CDSS) RHINA, which helps general physicians to decide whether or not to prescribe antibiotics in patients with rhinosinusitis. In a retrospective study of a total of 1,465 patients with rhinosinusitis, the CDSS RHINA presented a 90.2% consistency with the diagnosis and treatment made by the ENT specialist.
Conclusion: Patients assessed with the assistance of our CDSS RHINA would decrease the over-prescription of antibiotics, which in turn would help to reduce the bacterial resistance to the most commonly prescribed antibiotics.