Antibiotic Ear Drops More Effective for Ear Infections in Children with Ear Tubes

December 27th, 2006

A study of 80 children ages 6 months to 12 years with ear tubes, middle ear infections, and visible drainage in the ear has shown that antibiotic ear drops are more effective than medication taken in oral doses (pill or liquid form). The study, published recently in the journal Pediatrics, involved researchers and children in five states – Texas, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Utah and Florida.

Drops placed inside the ear deliver more concentrated doses of antibiotic to the precise spot where needed rather than dispersing it throughout the body. The drops resolved ear drainage three to five days faster, with 85% of children having overall clinical cures. In children taking oral medications, 59% had a similar response to treatment.

Ear tubes provide improved access to the middle ear, located behind the ear drum. The medication is able to reach the infection while avoiding intestinal and blood absorption through oral administration.

Infections of the middle ear are the most common diagnosis for which children are given antibiotics such as amoxicillin. Insertion of ear tubes is the most common surgery performed on children.

Statistics show that 1 in 6 children suffers an acute form of ear infection in the first year of life. In the next 6 years, 1 in 10 develops this medical condition. As a rule, ear tubes are not surgically implanted unless the problem is chronic and carries the potential for some degree of hearing loss. As a child grows, the eustachian tube lengthens and there is less likelihood of developing ear infections.

Antibiotic drops appear to be more tolerable for children, causing fewer gastrointestinal problems, skin reactions or yeast infections than oral antibiotics. For this reason, parental compliance with the prescribed treatment is also better. These pediatric patients are also less likely to develop antibiotic resistance, a concern with overuse of oral antibiotics.

As the lead study researcher points out, middle ear infections are often caused by micro-organisms not responsive to antibiotics approved for pediatric patients. Pediatric patients with ear drainage tubes also may have different micro-organisms than those without tubes and can require a different treatment. These children have been shown to respond well to a broader spectrum of topical antibiotic ear drops.

Source:  Medical News TODAY 

Entry Filed under: CHILDREN'S HEALTHCARE