Drug News
Antibiotics useless in treating ear infections
By Ben Wasserman
Feb 25, 2008 - 12:12:16 PM

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MONDAY FEB 25, 2008 (foodconsumer.org) -- Antibiotics don't help reduce fluid buildup in young children with inner ear infections, according to a new study published in the February issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery.

The study by Dutch researchers examined data from several previously published studies and found use of antibiotics did not help relieve the fluid buildup associated with inner ear infections.

Maroeska M. Rovers, lead author of the study, at the University Medical Center Utrecht in The Netherlands recommended that antibiotics should not be used to prevent middle ear effusion due to increasing concerns about antibiotic resistance and side effects.

Ear infections are common among infants and children, which could cause fluid buildup in the ear, a condition commonly known as otitis media with effusion.  This condition can lead to hearing loss, affecting development of language skills, cognitive development, behaviors among others.

The data analyzed covered 1,328 children aged 6 months to 12 years with acute middle ear infection who participated in five studies.  Some were treated with antibiotics and some without.  Among those younger than 2, 51.8 percent had recurrent ear infection, who had the great risk for fluid buildup.

Those who took antibiotics were seemingly10 percent less likely to develop fluid buildup than those who did not, but the researchers cautioned that the difference was not statistically significant.

Some doctors have already noticed that antibiotics has limited benefits for the middle ear infections and stopped prescribing the drugs to treat diseases of this sort.  But some still keep giving antibiotics to children who have or are suspected to have middle ear infections.