Alternative Treatment of Otitis Media
A new study on the ways of treating otitis media which has taken place in one of medical institutions of New Orleans has compared two popular medications for treating the condition and has found some interesting results.
Dr. Stephen Eppes of the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Del, has stated that this study has opened a whole new perspective for treating otitis media and might be regarded as an alternative to the methods used today. The results of the study have already been submitted to the Food and Drug Administration for further investigation and approval, and if the results are positive a new drug may be added to the list of recommended medications used for treating otitis media in children.
The studies have displayed that after a 12 to 16 day period two different antibiotics from different drug classes where equally successful with approximately 87% of children having no symptoms of otitis media after the course. A repeated examination in two weeks after the initial course has shown that about 75% of children were completely cured with a few cases of reclusion. In what concerns side-effects, the new drug has shown better results with 17% compared to the standard medication with 23% of children having symptoms such as diarrhea and rash. The first drug has caused only diarrhea as a side-effect. The children taking part in the study have had no history of antibiotic intolerance or failed treatment with antibiotics and were generally in a better condition than the patients who are subjected to tympanocentesis.
Researches have thus concluded that both Azithromycin (the new drug) and amoxicillin/clavulanate (the standard medicine) have approximately the same level of effectiveness in the long run, with the first on being more effective in the initial stage of the disease. Azithromycin is better absorbed by the tissue and has longer half-life of about 60 hours. This makes a single dose of the drug as effective as a 10-day course of amoxicillin/clavulanate. Besides, the new drug can be used with children who have had an allergic reaction or intolerance to penicillin-based antibiotics. Good news for those, looking for an effective treatment of otitis media.
