Management of otitis media in infants and children: current role of old and new antimicrobial agents.

Otitis media, the diagnosis most frequently made by the pediatrician, is most effectively treated with antimicrobial therapy. Amoxicillin (or ampicillin) has been the standard for infants and children with acute otitis media because it is safe and effective for most of the causative bacterial pathogens. Amoxicillin has also been shown to be effective for treatment of some children with otitis media with effusion ("secretory" otitis media) and is the recommended prophylactic antimicrobial agent for prevention of frequently recurrent acute otitis media. However, during the past decade there has been an increasing rate of bacteria that are resistant to amoxicillin, primarily beta-lactamase-producing Haemophilus influenzae and Branhamella catarrhalis. Because of the emergence of these bacteria, other antimicrobial agents both old and new have been advocated for treatment and prevention of otitis media; amoxicillin-clavulanate and cefuroxime axetil are the newer agents. These agents are indicated for selected infants and children but for most patients amoxicillin remains a safe and relatively inexpensive effective "old friend".