• Sophie Couzos, Traven Lea, Reinhold Mueller, Richard Murray, and Margaret Culbong.
• National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation, PO Box 168, Deakin, ACT 2600, Australia. scouzos@tpgi.com.au
• Med. J. Aust. 2003 Aug 18; 179 (4): 185190185-90.

ObjectivesTo compare the effectiveness of ototopical ciprofloxacin (0.3%; CIP) with framycetin (0.5%), gramicidin, dexamethasone (FGD) eardrops (5 drops twice daily for 9 days) together with povidone-iodine (0.5%) ear cleaning as treatments for chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in Aboriginal children.Design And ParticipantsAboriginal community-controlled, community-based, multicentre, double-blind, randomised controlled trial in eight Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services across northern Australia, involving 147 Aboriginal children with CSOM.Main Outcome MeasuresResolution of otorrhoea (clinical cure), proportion of children with healed perforated tympanic membrane (TM) and improved hearing, 10-21 days after starting treatment.Results111 children aged 1-14 years (CIP, 55; FGD, 56) completed treatment. CSOM cures occurred in 64% (CIP, 76.4%; FGD, 51.8%), with a significantly higher rate in the ciprofloxacin group (P = 0.009, absolute difference of 24.6% [95% CI, 15.8%-33.4%]). TM perforation size and the level of hearing impairment did not change. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common bacterial pathogen (in 47.6%), while respiratory pathogens were rare (in 5.7%).ConclusionsTwice-daily ear cleaning and topical ciprofloxacin is effective at community-level in achieving cure for CSOM. Healthcare providers to Aboriginal children with CSOM should be given special access to provide ototopical ciprofloxacin as first-line treatment.

33 keywords...

hide…