Home > News

THURSDAY, Jan. 29 (HealthDayNews) -- Antibiotic eardrops, commonly used to treat children's ear infections, may lead to an increase of resistant bacteria and fungi in the ear, says a Temple University School of Medicine study.

Traditionally, oral antibiotics were prescribed for ear infections, one of the most common problems in children. In 1998, eardrops containing a broad-spectrum antibiotic called fluoroquinolone were introduced and labeled the treatment of choice.

But experts have become concerned about the overuse of these antibiotic eardrops and the potential development of resistant bacteria.

"Resistant bacteria develop when antibiotics are used inappropriately. We were concerned because there was little study on the impact of these eardrops on bacteria and fungal growth in the ear," Dr. Glenn Isaacson, a professor and chairman of otolaryngology/head and neck surgery at Temple, says in a prepared statement.

He and his colleagues examined samples taken from children before and after the introduction of the antibiotic eardrops and found a significant increase in resistant bacteria and fungi in children who had used the eardrops.

The study was presented Jan. 25 at a meeting of the Society of Laryngology, Otology and Rhinology.

"Since eardrops containing fluoroquinolone are an important treatment for certain types of ear infection, proper usage is critical to preserve their strength and prevent the development of resistant bacteria," Isaacson says.

He recommends doctors avoid prescribing antibiotics for minor infections and says oral antibiotics should be used to treat ear infections in young children. He also suggests judicious use of eardrops for ear infections in older children and a combination of ear drainage and antibiotics for recurring ear infections.

More information

Here's where you can learn more about ear infections.

(SOURCE: Temple University, news release, Jan. 25, 2004)

Copyright © 2004 ScoutNews, LLC. All rights reserved.