Common drug treatments for sinus infections -- antibiotics and steroid nasal sprays -- seem to be little better than doing nothing at all, British researchers said.

"Wide-scale overtreatment is likely occurring" because there is no proof many of these infections are bacterial in nature, Dr. Ian Williamson of the University of Southampton and colleagues wrote in their report.

Antibiotics are useless against viruses, a common cause of sinus infections, and their overuse can lead to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.

It sounds like something out of a horror movie, but wrong-sided surgery happens more often than you think.

The physical consequences of medical errors are obvious. One well-known study estimated that as many as 98,000 hospital deaths a year stem from mistakes by health care workers. But what about the less visible emotional costs of these missteps?

Nearly half of doctors in a recent survey admit to witnessing a serious medical error but not reporting it.

That is one of the findings in a new survey aimed at measuring how well doctors conform to guidelines on medical professionalism, reported today in The Annals of Internal Medicine. The survey, led by researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital, surveyed nearly 1,700 doctors about their beliefs and practices regarding medicine. Over all, the survey shows that most doctors adhere to strict standards of professionalism regarding medical mistakes, patient privacy and appropriate patient relationships.

You can read the original New york Times article here