Can Antimicrobial Treatment Reduce MEE Duration in Children with AOM?

Treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanate for acute otitis media was associated with a shorter duration of middle ear effusion and a quicker return to normal otoscopy findings.

Studies of the effects of antibiotics on acute otitis media (AOM) generally use resolution of symptoms at some fixed time as the endpoint. Because such studies have shown that antibiotic treatment has only a moderate effect on outcome, there has been a push toward prescribing such medications for fewer children with AOM and waiting to see whether symptoms resolve spontaneously. In a recent randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial conducted in Finland, investigators examined whether antibiotics affect the duration of middle ear effusion (MEE), which often persists after acute symptoms of AOM resolve and can impair hearing.

The trial involved 84 children aged 6 months to 15 years with AOM who were recruited during one of three period…

Reviewing Author

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Disclosures

Editorial BoardsInfectious Diseases in Children

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesMember Committee on Rheumatic Fever, Endocarditis and Kawasaki Disease

Can Antimicrobial Treatment Reduce MEE Duration in Children with AOM?

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Reviewing Author