Trial reportCMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne2012
Systemic corticosteroid monotherapy for clinically diagnosed acute rhinosinusitis: a randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 29 citations in OpenAlex.
- Pooled it
- Guideline
- Systemic corticosteroids for acute sinusitis.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2014Pooled it
- Pelargonium sidoides extract for treating acute respiratory tract infections.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2013Pooled it
- Improving pain management in childhood acute otitis media in general practice: a cluster randomised controlled trial of a GP-targeted educational intervention.The British journal of general practice : the journal of the Royal College of General Practitioners · 2020Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- A meta-analysis of pain intensity changes after placebo interventions in facial pain.Pain reports · 2026Review
- Urgent Care Stewardship for Glucocorticoid Overuse in Acute Respiratory Infections.JAMA network open · 2026Article
- Sinonasal Outcomes Using Oral Corticosteroids in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps and Positive Sinonasal Cultures.International archives of otorhinolaryngology · 2023Article
- Article
- Opioids or Steroids for Pneumonia or Sinusitis.Pediatrics · 2020Article
- Benefits and harm of systemic steroids for short- and long-term use in rhinitis and rhinosinusitis: an EAACI position paper.Clinical and translational allergy · 2020Review
- Article
- Diagnosis and Management of Rhinosinusitis: Highlights from the 2015 Practice Parameter.Current allergy and asthma reports · 2016Review
- Influence of health-related quality of life on health service utilization in Chinese rural-to-urban female migrant workers.Health and quality of life outcomes · 2014Article
- Acute rhinosinusitis and systemic corticosteroids.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2013Article
- Acute rhinosinusitis and systemic corticosteroids--response to Ukwaja.CMAJ : Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l'Association medicale canadienne · 2013Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundPatients with acute rhinosinusitis are frequently encountered in primary care. Although corticosteroids are being increasingly used for symptom control, evidence supporting their use is inconclusive. We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effectiveness of systemic corticosteroid monotherapy for clinically diagnosed, uncomplicated acute rhinosinusitis.
methodsWe conducted a block-randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial at 54 primary care practices (68 family physicians) in the Netherlands between Dec. 30, 2008, and Apr. 28, 2011. Adult patients with clinically diagnosed acute rhinosinusitis were randomly assigned to receive either prednisolone 30 mg/d or placebo for 7 days and asked to complete a symptom diary for 14 days. The primary outcome measure was the proportion of patients with resolution of facial pain or pressure on day 7.
resultsOf the 185 patients included in the trial (93 in the treatment group, 92 in the placebo group), 2 withdrew from the study and 9 were excluded from the primary analysis because of incomplete symptom reporting. The remaining 174 patients (88 in the treatment group, 86 in the placebo group) were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. The proportions of patients with resolution of facial pain or pressure on day 7 were 62.5% (55/88) in the prednisolone group and 55.8% (48/86) in the placebo group (absolute risk difference 6.7%, 95% confidence interval -7.9% to 21.2%). The groups were similar with regard to the decrease over time in the proportion of patients with total symptoms (combined symptoms of runny nose, postnasal discharge, nasal congestion, cough and facial pain) and health-related quality of life. Adverse events were mild and did not differ significantly between the groups.
interpretationSystemic corticosteroid monotherapy had no clinically relevant beneficial effects among patients with clinically diagnosed acute rhinosinusitis. Netherlands Trial Register registration no. 1295 (www.trialregister.nl/trialreg/index.asp).
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.