Study examines opioids, steroids for pneumonia, sinusitis

Researchers studied more than 30,000 youths with pneumonia and sinusitis and found that 6.3% of youths with pneumonia were prescribed opioids and 19.6% were prescribed systemic corticosteroids in the emergency department, compared with 1.5% and 12.3% in ambulatory settings, respectively. The study in Pediatrics also showed that 7.5% of youths with sinusitis were prescribed opioids and 18.9% were prescribed steroids in the emergency department, compared with 2.1% and 7.2% in ambulatory settings, respectively.