My husband an I have noticed that in the last three years our pediatrician is doing recheck appointments for a lot of conditions. We were told recently to make a recheck on a sinus infection for our son after he is done with his antiobiotics. Is this something new? Is it really necessary? Our medical deductible is very high and the recheck for ears is the same price as an exam. Rechecking sinuses that no longer have any symptoms seems unnecessary.

Dr. Joshua’s Answer:

Please observe your pediatrician’s instructions. I cannot and will not second-guess his/her judgement. I don’t even know your son’s age.

Generally speaking, routine recheck is not necessary after treatment for acute sinusitis if the patient is free of symptoms. However, for ear infections, a recheck including tympanometry is recommended after 1 month.

However, medicine is practiced on a case-by-case basis, and perhaps there was some finding that prompted the pediatrician to schedule a recheck appointment.

My advice is to follow the pediatrician’s advice, and discuss this issue when you next him/her.

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