classification
Last edited 09/2018
Rhinosinusitis is generally classified according to the duration into:
- acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) - if duration of symptoms is less than 12 weeks
- chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) - if lasting more than 12 weeks (with or without acute exacerbations) (1)
Acute rhinosinusitis can be further divided into
- acute viral rhinosinusitis (common cold) - duration of symptoms of less than 10 days
- acute post-viral rhinosinusitis - defined by an increase in symptoms after 5 days or persistent symptoms after 10 days with less than 12 weeks duration.
- acute bacterial rhinosinusitis—defined by the presence of at least three symptoms or signs of
- discoloured discharge (with unilateral predominance) and purulent secretions
- severe local pain (with unilateral predominance)
- fever (>38°C)
- elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate or C reactive protein
- ‘double sickening’ (i.e. a deterioration after an initial milder phase of illness) (1)
- in recurrent acute sinusitis
- there are four or more episodes of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis per year without signs or symptoms of sinusitis between episodes
- each episode should meet the diagnostic criteria for acute bacterial sinusitis
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