Antibiotics Not Best for Treating Infections.

• Position: Brief Article

Ear infections in children don't clear any faster with antibiotics than with pain-relieving ear drops, according to a study that suggests antibiotics may be overprescribed for the common childhood illness. "Because ear infections resolve at similar rates, whether children receive antibiotics or drops, the study indicates that antibiotics may not be needed in many of the 20 to 25,000,000 ear-infection cases seen in the United States annually," maintains lead investigator Paul S. Matz, a research fellow in the Department of Pediatrics, Brown Medical Center, Providence, R.I.

"Many parents expect an antibiotic will be prescribed for a child with an ear infection. Usually, they do not come into a doctor's office and ask for an antibiotic, but there is a physician perception that parents expect to get one. This unspoken pressure to prescribe is considered a major factor in the potential overuse of antibiotics."

Overuse of antibiotics is cited as a significant reason for the increasing resistance worldwide among many bacterial strains. "We can tell parents that their children don't need antibiotics all the time for ear infections," says Matz. "In selected cases, use of ear drops may prevent overprescription of antibiotics, while satisfying parental desires for treatment."

Typically, simple pain relief will...