Microbiologic and clinical aspects of a trial of once daily cefixime compared with twice daily cefaclor for treatment of acute otitis media in infants and children.

In this randomized, investigator-blinded multicenter study, tympanocentesis for acute otitis media with effusion in 137 ears from 108 children, 6 months to 12 years of age, revealed 84 definite pathogens and 32 potential pathogens. Twenty-nine aspirates from 23 subjects were sterile. Of the 116 isolates 42 (36%) were Streptococcus pneumoniae, 24 (21%) were Haemophilus influenzae, 9 (8%) were Moraxella catarrhalis, 9 (8%) were Streptococcus pyogenes and 1 (1%) was Staphylococcus aureus. Twenty-two (19%) definite pathogens produced beta-lactamase. Patients were randomized to cefixime (8 mg/kg/day daily) or cefaclor (40 mg/kg/day divided into two doses). Efficacy was determined by pneumatic otoscopy and tympanometry at the end of therapy visit on Days 11 to 14 and up to 4 weeks of follow-up. At end of therapy subjects with definite pathogens exhibited a satisfactory clinical outcome in 26 of 36 (72%) ears for cefaclor and 40 of 48 (83%) ears for cefixime recipients (P = 0.12). For ears with beta-lactamase-producing isolates there were no (0 to 12) cefixime failures but 4 of 10 cefaclor failures (P = 0.03). Diarrhea/loose stools were more frequent in cefixime (16 of 58) than cefaclor (4 of 50) recipients. One cefixime subject required discontinuation of drug. Overall efficacy for treatment of acute otitis media with effusion was not different; however, cefixime appeared more effective for infections caused by beta-lactamase-producing organisms.