TY - JOUR T1 - <span hwp:id="article-title-1" class="article-title">Antibiotics reduced the time to resolution of symptoms in otitis media</span><span hwp:id="article-title-3" class="sub-article-title">Children diagnosed with otitis media by an otoscopist benefited from antibiotics but suffered more side effects</span> JF - Archives of disease in childhood - Education &amp; practice edition JO - Arch Dis Child Educ Pract Ed SP - 38 LP - 39 DO - 10.1136/archdischild-2011-300825 VL - 97 IS - 1 A2 - , Y1 - 2012/02/01 UR - http://ep.bmj.com/content/97/1/38.abstract N2 - Design Randomised placebo-controlled trial. Allocation Patients were stratified for history of recurrent otitis media and exposure to other children and randomised in blocks of four. The method of allocation concealment was not stated. Blinding Blinding of researchers, parents and caregivers. Setting Large tertiary hospital in Pittsburgh, USA and associated private clinic. Patients 291 children aged 6–23 months, who had received pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and scored 3 or more on the Acute Otitis Media Severity of Symptoms scale. Intervention 144 infants were assigned to amoxicillin–clavulanate (Augmentin ES), amoxicillin 90 mg/kg (clavulanate 6.4 mg/kg) divided in two daily doses for 10 days and 147 were assigned to placebo. Outcomes Primary outcome was time to resolution of symptoms; secondary outcomes were overall efficacy, use of paracetamol and adverse events. Follow-up period Until days 21–25. Patient follow-up 137/144 in treatment versus 145/147 in placebo (compliance achieved in 85%). Intention-to-treat analysis. View this table:In this windowIn a new windowTable 1 Children treated with antibiotics for acute otitis media diagnosed by strict criteria benefited with reduced time to resolution of symptoms; however, treatment resulted in more diarrhoea and rash. Hoberman A, Paradise JL, Rockette HE, et … OpenUrlCrossRefPubMedWeb of Science Correspondence to Martin Burton, Consultant Otolaryngologist, Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust, The West Wing, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford OX3 9DU, UK; mburton{at}cochrane-ent.org ER -