Intramuscular ceftriaxone as single dose treatment of acute otitis media

To evaluate single dose intramuscular ceftriaxone as an option for the treatment of acute otitis media [AOM]. To compare efficacy of single dose intramuscular ceftriaxone to 10 days treatment with amoxicillin-clavulanate combination. Prospective, randomized, double blind control study. Combined Military Hospital Muzaffarabad, Azad Kashmir, over a period of 02 years from October 2006 to September 2008. A total of 148 freshly diagnosed cases of AOM between ages 03months to 6 years were recruited and divided randomly into two equal groups of 74 each using random numbers table. Group I was administered oral amoxicillin-clavulanate in a dose of 45mg/kg/day in three divided doses along with single intramuscular shot of placebo. Group II was given a single shot of intramuscular ceftriaxone in a dose of 50mg/kg along with placebo syrup thrice a day for 10 days. Patients were reassessed at day 03 and 11. Ninety four point five percent of patients responded to amoxicillin-clavulanate whereas 95.9% responded to single dose IM ceftriaxone. No significant difference was noted between the two types of treatments in term of disease outcome. Single dose intramuscular ceftriaxone can be another option for the treatment of AOM especially in children/parents with poor compliance