Related Experiment Videos
Comparison of cefaclor and amoxicillin for acute otitis media with effusion
Insights
Cefaclor showed a trend toward better resolution of middle ear fluid than amoxicillin in children with acute otitis media with effusion. Further research is needed to confirm these findings for antibiotic therapy.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Acute otitis media with effusion (AOME) is common in children.
- Antimicrobial therapy is a standard treatment for AOME.
- Comparing the efficacy of different antibiotics is crucial for optimal patient outcomes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of cefaclor versus amoxicillin in treating AOME in children.
- To evaluate the resolution of middle ear effusion after a 14-day course of antibiotics.
Main Methods:
- A double-blind, randomized clinical trial involving 110 children (150 ears).
- Participants received either cefaclor or amoxicillin for 14 days post-tympanocentesis.
- Outcomes assessed included persistent/recurrent symptoms and middle ear effusion resolution.
Main Results:
- No significant difference in symptom persistence/recurrence between cefaclor and amoxicillin groups.
- Cefaclor group showed a statistically significant higher rate of effusion-free ears (59.2%) compared to amoxicillin (43.7%) after 14 days (p = .03).
- These results suggest cefaclor may be more effective in resolving middle ear effusion.
Conclusions:
- Cefaclor is a viable option for AOME treatment in children.
- Cefaclor may offer superior efficacy over amoxicillin in resolving middle ear effusions.
- Further studies are warranted to confirm the comparative effectiveness of these antibiotics.
Abstract:
A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted comparing cefaclor and amoxicillin for the treatment of acute otitis media with effusion in 110 children (150 ears). Each child underwent unilateral or bilateral tympanocentesis and then randomly received a 14-day course of either amoxicillin or cefaclor. Of 57 children in the cefaclor group, only 3 children (5.3%) had persistent or recurrent symptoms during the 14-day course of treatment, as compared to 5 of 53 children (9.4%) in the amoxicillin group, but this difference is not significant. After completion of the 14 days of therapy, 45 of 76 ears (59.2%) of the children in the cefaclor group were effusion-free, as compared to only 28 of 64 ears (43.7%) of the children in the amoxicillin group. When adjusted for age and race, this difference is statistically significant (p = .03). However, the difference between the effect of the two antimicrobials is not statistically significant in children. Cefaclor is a reasonable choice for antimicrobial therapy for acute otitis media with effusion, and from these study findings, it appears that cefaclor may be more effective than amoxicillin in resolving the middle ear effusion at the completion of 14-day therapy.