A study of three preparations in the treatment of otitis externa

Twenty-seven patients with an initial diagnosis of otitis externa, untreated for the previous 2 weeks, were treated with weekly aural suction toilet and a choice of three topical drops. Two contained combinations of antibiotics and steroids, one of which also contained an anti-fungal agent. The third was boric acid in spirit. The patients were assessed at weekly intervals until a remission was established. From this study it would appear that antibiotic-based drops confer no real advantage over boric acid in spirit.