International Research and Opinion Changing choice of antibacterials for otitis media Use of macrolides and amoxicillinlclavulanic acid to treat acute otitis media (OM) has increased, whereas use of cotrimoxazole [trimethoprimlsulfamethoxazole] and oral cephalosporins has decreased, according to an analysis of claims data from a large health insurer in New England, US. Over 3 consecutive I-year periods (July 1994--June 1995, July 1995-June 1996, and July 1996-June 1997), prescriptions for macrolides accounted for 6, 8 and 11 % of all prescriptions for acute OM, respectively, and those for amoxicillinlclavulanic acid accounted for 9,8 and 10%. Prescriptions for cotrimoxazole comprised 15, 14 and 11 % of all acute OM prescriptions over the 3 years studied, respectively, and oral cephalosporins comprised 19, 17 and 15%. There was a steady fall in the proportion of patients who received antibacterial prophylaxis. There was also a decline in the mean number of episodes of acute OM from 1994 to 1997 - this trend was reflected in a slight decrease in the mean number of physician visits and antibacterial prescriptions for OM. The analysis involved claims data for children aged < 10 years who had ~ 1 episode of acute OM: data for 24 460 children were included in the analysis for the fIrst year of the study, 22 004 in the second year, and 26 100 in the third year. Thompson D. Oster G, McGarry L. Murphy MJ, Klein 10, et al. Current trends in management of otitis media in a large health insurance plan. 38th Interscience Conference on Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy: 599, 24 Sep 1998 [abstract] 'OO7(),'m
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PharmacoEconomics & OUtcomes News 17 Oct 1998 No. 184
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