Antibiotics Do Not Prevent Fluid Buildup In Children’s Ear Infections
March 17th, 2008 | by admin |
Antibiotics are not linked to a significant decrease in fluid buildupin the ear when administered to children with middle ear infections.This is the conclusion of a meta-analysis of previous studies releasedon February 18, 2008 in the Archives of Otolaryngology - Head &Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
In infants and children, one of the most prevalent diseases is the earinfection. Otitis media, or a middle ear infection, can lead to fluidbuildup in the middle ear, developing into acute otitis media witheffusion. According to the authors, this can be detrimental todevelopment. “The effusion may lead to a conductive hearingloss of 15 decibels to 40 decibels, and this hearing loss could have anadverse effect on language development, cognitive development, behaviorand quality of life.”
Laura Koopman, M.Sc., of University Medical Center Utrecht, theNetherlands, and colleagues examined data taken from 1,328 children,ranging in age from 6 months to 12 years, with acute middle earinfections. All had participated in one of five randomized controlledtrials comparing the use of antibiotics to a placebo or to nottreatment. Approximately half were assigned not to receive antibiotictreatment.
44 percent of the children were younger than age two. Of these, 51.8percent had repeated ear infections. In these groups, the risk ofdeveloping middle ear effusion was highest. Antibiotics reduced therisk of effusion to a statistically insignificant 90 percent of therisk without them.
The authors caution against prescription of antibiotics in these cases.”Because of a marginal effect of antibiotic therapy on the developmentof asymptomatic middle ear effusion and the known negative effects ofprescribing antibiotics, including the development of antibioticresistance and adverse effects, we do not recommend prescribingantibiotics to prevent middle ear effusion.” Current treatmentguidelines agree with this assessment, as they do not recommendprescription of antibiotics to prevent effusion.
The conclude, citing a need for further research. “However, moreresearch is needed to identify relevant subgroups of children who havemiddle ear effusion that might benefit from other treatments,” theyconclude.
Antibiotic Therapy to Prevent the Development of AsymptomaticMiddle Ear Effusion in Children With Acute Otitis Media
Laura Koopman, MSc; Arno W. Hoes, MD, PhD; Paul P. Glasziou, MD, PhD;Cees L. Appelman, MD, PhD; Peter Burke, FRCGP, MRCP(Ire); David P.McCormick, MD; Roger A. Damoiseaux, MD, PhD; Nicole Le Saux,MD, PhD; Maroeska M. Rovers, PhD
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2008;134(2):128-132.
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Written by Anna Sophia McKenney
Copyright: Medical News Today
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