Cefaclor in the treatment of otitis media with effusion

Abstract

A randomized clinical trial in which 91 children with chronic OME participated was performed. Cefaclor 20 mg/kg body weight b.i.d. was given to the treated group (n = 46) during 10 days preceding the day appointed for surgery. The control group (n = 45) remained untreated. On the day scheduled for surgery 24 (52%) of the treated cases had healed, compared to 5 (11%) of the untreated cases, a significant difference (p less than 0.001). The long term effects showed that in the treated group 18 of the 24 primarily healed remained unoperated at a median follow-up period of 20 months. In the untreated group two of the five that originally resolved later relapsed and were subjected to surgery.