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News -> November, 2000 News
The Sinus and Allergy Health Partnership (SAHP) continues to plug away at its primary goals of educating
the public and primary care physicians on the fact that comprehensive and cost-effective care of nasal and sinus diseases, whether medical or surgical, is best obtained from Otolaryngologists-Head and Neck Surgeons.
Since the SAHP Summer Update, David Kennedy, M.D., has become our Treasurer, joining the Chairman, James
Denneny, M.D., representatives of the American Academy of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery
(Jack Anon, M.D., and I) , the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy (James Hadley, M.D., and Ivor Emanuel,
M.D.), and the American Rhinologic Society (Mike Benninger, M.D., and James Stankiewicz, M .D.).
The "Professor of the Day" initiative, which delivers structured 1 hour lectures on rhinosinusitis and on
allergic rhinitis to the primary care residencies, has reached approximately 1,000 family medicine
residents via 60 presentations. The "Distinguished Lecture Series" is gearing up to sponsor
Otolaryngologists as guest speakers at the meetings of various state medical societies and the national
primary care groups.
This past year the Partnership, in conjunction with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the
Food and Drug Administration, assembled a diverse group of representatives from the Otolaryngology,
Pediatric, Internal Medicine and Pharmaceutical communities. The resulting product, "Antimicrobial
Treatment Guidelines for Acute Bacterial Rhinosinusitis," was published in Otolaryngology-Head and Neck
Surgery this past July. Since publication, over 400,000 copies have been distributed by pharmaceutical
companies to primary care physicians and family nurse practitioners. A similar supplement is slated for
the Journal of Pediatrics, and the Journal of Pediatric Infectious Diseases will be publishing an "executive
summary" of those same guidelines. A similar undertaking on chronic rhinosinusitis is in the works.
The Partnership is working with the Food and Drug Administration as well as the pharmaceutical industry to
conduct a study to compare the "gold standard" antral puncture with an endoscopically-guided microswab
culture of the hiatus semilunaris. Limited studies to date have indicated a correlation of 82 to 85%.
The FDA currently mandates that all clinical trials of antibiotics prescribed for acute rhinosinusitis
include antral puncture verification of efficacy (even though the anterior ethmoid cells are more commonly
infected than the antra).
As you know, pharmaceutical companies sponsor clinical trials for new antibiotics, antihistamines, topical
steroids, and related products. At present, a large majority of these clinical trials are conducted by
general allergists, infectious disease specialists, and primary care physicians. The Partnership has
helped the pharmaceutical companies recognize the need for greater otolaryngologist participation in these
studies. The Partnership is now creating panels of both academic and non-academic otolaryngology
practices interested in participating in such clinical trials. As specialists of the nose/sinuses, we have
an obligation to our patientsÑindeed to ALL patientsÑto contribute our unique expertise to emerging patient
care. This is an opportunity.
Recent activities directed toward youÑthe individual physician we are working forÑtook advantage of our
just-completed annual meeting in Washington. The Partnership and its Board presented three AAO - HNSF
Breakfast Symposia with invited colleagues and one instruction course on "Marketing Your Practice." The
Partnership, through these Updates, its publications and constituent society presentations, will keep you
updated on our activities.
Please feel free to contact any member of the Partnership, its' constituent organizations, the Partnership's
Project Manager Nick Williamson at 202-955-5010 (fax 202-955-5016). The Managing Director, Joe Fox, and the
Executive Director, Jami Lucas, can also be reached at the same numbers. Our web site is
www.allergysinus.org.
Our office address is SAHP, 1990 M Street, NW, Suite 680, Washington, D.C., 20036.
J. David Osguthorpe, M.D.
SAHP Board, and ARS Newsletter Editor
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