Respiratory Viruses Interfere with Bacteriologic Response to Antibiotic in Children with Acute Otitis Media

Fifty-eight infants and children with acute otitis media were prospectively studied for bacterial and viral pathogenesis and response to antibiotic therapy. Tympanocentesis for bacterial and viral cultures of middle ear fluids (MEF) was done before and 2–4 days after beginning treatment. Patients we...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Journal of infectious diseases 1990-08, Vol.162 (2), p.546-549
Main Authors: Chonmaitree, Thsnee, Owen, Mary J., Howie, Virgil M.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acute Disease
Amoxicillin - therapeutic use
Anti-Bacterial Agents - therapeutic use
Antibiotics
Antibiotics. Antiinfectious agents. Antiparasitic agents
Bacteria
Bacterial Infections - complications
Bacterial Infections - drug therapy
Bacterial Infections - microbiology
Biological and medical sciences
Cefixime
Cefotaxime - analogs & derivatives
Cefotaxime - therapeutic use
Child
Child, Preschool
Children
Concise Communications
Female
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Infant
Infections
Male
Medical sciences
Middle ear
Otitis media
Otitis Media with Effusion - complications
Otitis Media with Effusion - drug therapy
Otitis Media with Effusion - microbiology
Pathogens
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
Prospective Studies
Random Allocation
Rhinovirus
Symptoms
Virus Diseases - complications
Virus Diseases - microbiology
Viruses
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Description
Summary:Fifty-eight infants and children with acute otitis media were prospectively studied for bacterial and viral pathogenesis and response to antibiotic therapy. Tympanocentesis for bacterial and viral cultures of middle ear fluids (MEF) was done before and 2–4 days after beginning treatment. Patients were followed until the end of antibiotic course. Bacteria were cultured from the preantibiotic MEF in 43 cases (74%). Viruses were cultured from the preantibiotic MEF in 11 cases (19%); all ofthese MEFs also contained bacterial pathogens. A significantly higher proportion of patients with both virus and bacteria (50%) failed to respond with clearing of bacteria 2–4 days into therapy compared with the group with bacteria alone (13%). The patients with persistently positive viral cultures of the MEF seemed to have purulent otitis of longer duration. Presence ofvirus in the MEF may interfere with bacteriologic and clinical responses to antibiotic. The mechanism of interference deserves further investigation.
ISSN:0022-1899
1537-6613
DOI:10.1093/infdis/162.2.546