An 18-year-old patient with facial pain and yellow nasal discharge for 14 days may best be treated with which medication initially?

In the case of an 18-year-old patient experiencing facial pain and yellow nasal discharge for 14 days, the presentation suggests a likely diagnosis of acute bacterial sinusitis. When treating children and young adults with suspected bacterial sinusitis, Amoxicillin-Clavulanate (Augmentin) is often regarded as the first-line antibiotic choice due to its effectiveness against the most common pathogens involved, including Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae.

Augmentin combines amoxicillin, which is a penicillin derivative, with clavulanate, a beta-lactamase inhibitor, which enhances its activity against bacteria that produce beta-lactamase enzymes. Given that the patient has had symptoms persisting for two weeks, which raises concern for a bacterial infection rather than a viral etiology, initiating treatment with Augmentin provides both coverage and a higher likelihood of effectively resolving the infection.

Other medications listed may be effective under different circumstances but are not the preferred initial choices for this particular scenario. For instance, Ceftriaxone is typically reserved for more severe cases or when outpatient therapy fails, Levofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone, is generally not first-line for sinusitis due to concerns about side effects and resistance patterns