Amoxicillin Is the Most Cost-Effective Therapy for Acute Otitis Media: The Culmination of 40 Years of Research

Novel Antimicrobial Treatment Strategy Based on Drug Delivery Systems for Acute Otitis Media

Despite tremendous success of pneumococcal conjugated vaccine and antimicrobial treatment by amoxicillin, acute otitis media (AOM) still remains as a great medical concern. Failure of antimicrobial treatment includes several factors. The middle ear cavity is surrounded by bone tissue, which makes it difficult to maintain sufficient concentration of antibiotics. Tympanic membrane of AOM patients thickens and actually becomes a barrier for topical therapy. This review discusses novel antimicrobial treatment strategies based on drug delivery systems (DDS) for AOM. To deliver drugs enough to kill the pathogenic bacteria without systemic side effects, the development of new antimicrobial treatment strategy applying innovative drug DDS has been expected. The sustained-release DDS can achieve sufficient time for antimicrobial concentrations to exceed minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for time-dependent antibiotics as well as enough maximum concentration for dose-dependent antibiotics to eradicate causative pathogens in the middle ear. The development of trans-tympanic membranes of DDS, such as hydrogels with chemical permeation enhancers (CPEs), is another attractive strategy. Phage is a promising strategy for developing DDS-based therapies. The DDS formulations enable antimicrobial treatment of AOM by a single dose and thus, an attractive future antimicrobial treatment for AOM.

Updated Guidelines for the Management of Acute Otitis Media in Children by the Italian Society of Pediatrics: Treatment

BACKGROUND

New insights into the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of acute otitis media (AOM) have been gained in recent years. For this reason, the Italian Paediatric Society has updated its 2010 guidelines.

METHODS

A literature search was carried out on PubMed. Only pediatric studies published between January 1, 2010 and December 31, 2018 in English or Italian were included. Each included study was assessed according to the GRADE methodology. The quality of the systematic reviews was assessed using AMSTAR 2. The recommendations were formulated by a multidisciplinary panel of experts.

RESULTS

Prompt antibiotic treatment is recommended for children with otorrhea, intracranial complications and/or a history of recurrence and for children under the age of 6 months. For children 6 months to 2 years of age, prompt antibiotic treatment is recommended for all forms of unilateral and bilateral AOM, whether mild or severe. Prompt antibiotic treatment is also recommended for children over 2 years with severe bilateral AOM. A watchful-waiting approach can be applied to children over 2 years with mild or severe unilateral AOM or mild bilateral AOM. High doses of amoxicillin, or amoxicillin-clavulanic acid for patients with a high risk of infection by Beta-lactamase producing strains, remain the first-line antibiotics.

CONCLUSIONS

AOM should be managed on a case-by-case basis that takes account of the child's age, the severity of the episode and whether it is unilateral or bilateral. In patients under 2 years, prompt antibiotic treatment is always recommended.

Microbial otitis media: recent advancements in treatment, current challenges and opportunities

Otitis media (OM) is a common disease affecting humans, especially paediatric populations. OM refers to inflammation of the middle ear and can be broadly classified into two types, acute and chronic. Bacterial infection is one of the most common causes of OM. Despite the introduction of vaccines, the incidence of OM remains significantly high worldwide. In this mini-review article, we discuss the recent treatment modalities for OM, such as suspension gel, transcutaneous immunization, and intranasal and transtympanic drug delivery, including therapies that are currently undergoing clinical trials. We provide an overview of how these recent advancements in therapeutic strategies can facilitate the circumvention of current treatment challenges involving preadolescence soft palate dysfunction, biofilm formation, tympanic membrane (ear drum) barrier and the attainment of efficacious drug concentrations in the middle ear. While traditional first-line immunization strategies are generally not very efficacious against biofilms, new technologies that use transdermal or intranasal drug delivery via chitosan-PsaA nanoparticles have shown promising results in experimental animal models of OM. Sustained drug delivery systems such as penta-block copolymer poloxamer 407-polybutylphosphoester (P407-PBP) or poloxamer 407 (e.g. OTO-201, with the brand name 'OTIPRIO') have demonstrated that treatments can be reduced to a single topical application. The emergence of effective new treatment modalities opens up promising new avenues for the treatment of OM that could lead to improved quality of life for many children and their families.