Ciprofloxacin 0.3% + dexamethasone 0.1% for the treatment for otitis media

Ciprofloxacin 0.3% with dexamethasone 0.1% (ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone) is an ototopical preparation for acute otitis externa, otorrhea with tympanostomy tubes, and is frequently used to treat chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM). The advantage of topical therapy is the ability to deliver higher concentration of antibiotics to the treatment site when compared with oral or parenteral antibiotics. The delivery of a high concentration of antibiotics significantly decreases treatment failure and makes the development of resistant organisms unlikely. Previous ototopical preparations contained antibiotics such as aminoglycosides that are known to be ototoxic making treatment of otic infections without an intact tympanic membrane difficulty.

A literature search of PubMed was performed as the basis for a literature-based discussion on the clinical efficacy of ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone compared to oral antibiotics and ototopical therapy without a steroid component. The potential ototoxicity of ototopical therapies is discussed, including evidence demonstrating the lack of ototoxicity of fluoroquinolone and dexamethasone containing drops.

Because multiple studies have demonstrated that fluoroquinolones are not ototoxic, fluoroquinolone ototopical drops should be a first-line treatment for otorrhea without an intact membrane. The addition of dexamethasone 0.1% to ciprofloxacin 0.3% has been shown to decrease granulation tissue, improve clinical cure and achieve greater rates of bacterial eradication when compared to ciprofloxacin 0.3% alone.