[Prospective double-blind randomized study of the efficacy and tolerance of topical ciprofloxacin vs topical gentamicin in the treatment of simple chronic otitis media and diffuse external otitis].

A prospective, randomized double-blind study was made of topical ciprofloxacillin (0.5%) compared with topical gentamicin (0.3%) in the treatment of simple chronic otitis media (COM) and diffuse external otitis (DEO). The study included 47 patients with COM and 54 patients with DEO. Success rates in the COM subgroup were 95% for ciprofloxacillin and 96% for gentamicin (p = 0.082), and in the DEO subgroup, 87% for ciprofloxacillin and 79% for gentamicin (p = 0.19). Both drugs were well tolerated and there was no significant change in audiometric measurements with either medication in either group. Therefore, ciprofloxacillin is at least as effective as gentamicin in such ear infections and has no potential ototoxic effect.