Question

An otherwise healthy college student presents with complaints of cough, malaise, fever, yellow-green nasal discharge and headache for the past 3 weeks. She complains of facial pain over the cheeks and while chewing. On examination, the nasal turbinates are erythematous and edematous nearly obstructing the nares bilaterally. She has not been previously evaluated. What is the most appropriate antibiotic in this patient?

Answer 1

The most appropriate antibiotic for a college student with symptoms suggesting bacterial rhinosinusitis is amoxicillin-clavulanate.

Step-by-step explanation:

The college student's symptoms point to a likely case of bacterial rhinosinusitis, which is characterized by nasal congestion, fever, cough, facial pain, and yellow-green nasal discharge persisting for more than a few weeks. The organism responsible for bacterial rhinosinusitis can often be Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, or Moraxella catarrhalis, which are common following a viral upper respiratory infection. In such cases, first-line antibiotic therapy is typically amoxicillin-clavulanate, given its efficacy against these commonly implicated pathogens.