Reducing the Duration of Antibiotics Does More Harm than Good When Treating Ear Infections in Young Children

Pittsburgh: In a landmark trial conducted at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, researchers have demonstrated that when treating children between 6 and 23 months of age with antibiotics for ear infections, a shortened course has worse clinical outcomes without reducing the risk of antibiotic resistance or adverse events. The results of the trial are published today in the New England Journal of Medicine and highlighted by an accompanying commentary.

Antibiotics for acute middle ear infection (acute otitis media) in children

Cochrane: This review compared 1) the clinical effectiveness and safety of antibiotics against placebo in children with an acute middle ear infection (acute otitis media (AOM)) and 2) the clinical effectiveness and safety of antibiotics against expectant observation (observational approaches in which prescriptions may or may not be provided) in children with AOM.

FDA approves Xtoro to treat swimmer’s ear

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Xtoro (finafloxacin otic suspension), a new drug used to treat acute otitis externa, commonly known as swimmer’s ear.