Alternative Therapy for Ear Infections

A panel of pediatricians and otolaryngologists from the American Academy of Pediatrics has determined that a topical antibiotic is an acceptable alternative to oral antibiotics for treating children with ear tubes who develop ear infections. The findings of the panel, which met in Boston (MA, USA), are to be published in a future issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

The traditional treatment for children with middle ear infections is oral antibiotics. However, the incidence of antibiotic resistance is increasing. As the use of oral antibiotics grows, so does the incidence of resistance. Doctors place ear tubes in many children who have recurring infections to deter infection, but some children still become infected. Middle ear infections and drainage in these children can be treated with Floxin (ofloxacin otic solution, 0.3%), atopical antibiotic, said the panel.

"A topical antibiotic can be the first-line treatment of choice when treating ear drainage and infected ear tubes, if there is no underlying systemic infection,” stated panelist Seth Pransky, M.D., director, pediatric otolaryngology at Children's Hospital, San Diego, CA, USA.

Floxin has been cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for otitis externa in patients aged one year or older (due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus), acute otitis media in pediatric patients aged one year or older with tympanostomy tubes (due to P aeruginosa, S aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Haemophilus influenzae), and chronic suppurative otitis media in patients 12 years or older with perforated tympanic membranes (due to P aeruginosa, S aureus, or Proteus mirabilis). Floxin is the product of Daiichi Pharmaceutical Corp. (Tokyo, Japan).