Ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone drops decrease the incidence of physician and patient outcomes of otorrhea after tube placement.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate ciprofloxacin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.1% (CIPRODEX, Alcon, Ft. Worth, TX) for the prevention of early post-operative otorrhea following TT placement.


METHODS
This was a single-center, randomized, evaluator-blinded, parallel-group study. Two hundred children undergoing bilateral TT placement were categorized as having unilateral ("wet/dry"), bilateral ("wet/wet"), or no ("dry/dry") effusion at the time of surgery. All patients received Ciprodex or no treatment for 5 days post-operatively and returned at 2 weeks.


RESULTS
Physician-observed otorrhea was reported in 5 (4.95%) patients receiving Ciprodex and 39 (39.39%) patients receiving no treatment (p<0.0001). Treatment decreased otorrhea in all groups, while the greatest benefit was observed in patients with bilateral effusion (93% reduction). Ciprodex treatment also decreased the rate of clinically diagnosed otitis media (OM) and effusion following TT placement (p< or =0.0006).


CONCLUSIONS
Ciprodex reduced early post-operative otorrhea, clinically diagnosed OM and effusion following TT insertion. The greatest reduction in otorrhea was observed in patients with bilateral effusion at the time of surgery.
Giles
William
W
CENTA Medical Group, Columbia, SC, USA.
Dohar
Joseph
J
Iverson
Kenneth
K
Cockrum
Paul
P
Hill
Frank
F
Hill
Naomi
N
D000287:Administration, Topical; D000328:Adult; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002558:Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002939:Ciprofloxacin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D015588:Observer Variation; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012008:Recurrence; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D004338:Drug Combinations; D002939:Ciprofloxacin; D003907:Dexamethasone