Abstract
The treatment of acute otitis media was studied in 158 children. All children (mean age 4 years) received penicillin orally 80.000 - 100.000 IU per day for ten days. Myringotomy was performed to 68 children at the time of the diagnosis. The other 90 children were treated with penicillin and ear drops. The bacteriological findings of the nasopharynx at the time of diagnosis were equal in both groups. After two weeks 42 % of the children without myringotomy and 71 % of the children with myringotomy were cured. The children who were not cured were treated with amoxicillin for ten days. Four weeks after the start of the treatment 71 % and 90 % of the children were cured respectively. The differences between the two groups are significant. The observations indicate that myringotomy clearly accelerates the recovery of acute otitis media.
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Puhakka, E., Virolainen, E., Aantaa, E. et al. Myringotomy in the treatment of acute otitis media in children. Pediatr Res 13, 87 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197901000-00106
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-197901000-00106