LifeCare Chiropractic

The Best Chiropractic Care in Mesa, Arizona

Acute Otitis Media

Antibiotics of Limited Benefit in Pediatric Acute Otitis Media – (09-18-00)

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Antibiotics of Limited Benefit in Pediatric Acute Otitis Media

When we look at the side effects of antibiotics, we typically only look at immediate effects such as rashes or diarrhea. Very rarely do we look at the fact that much of the normal flora is destroyed in the process and the long term health effects can be quite damaging. So, not only do we have potentially very damaging long term effects, immediate side effects, increased cost AND the development of antibiotic resistance…but antibiotics are not much more effective than placebo!!!

Over 80% of children with acute otitis media improve without antibiotic therapy within a week. That compares with 93% recovery during the first week with antibiotic treatment, according to a study released by the Agency for Healthcare research and Quality (AHRQ). The study also found that children treated with amoxicillin had similar outcomes to those treated with more expensive antibiotics such as cefaclor, azithromycin and clarithromycin. The authors recommend that further research look into “watchful waiting” as standard practice in the management of acute otitis media. The practice is common in the Netherlands, where antibiotic resistance runs as low as 1%, compared to as high as 25% in the United States. It is estimated that 5 million episodes of otitis media occur each year in the United States at a total cost of $3 billion.

Trial of two prescribing strategies for childhood acute otitis media – (02-19-01)

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Trial of two prescribing strategies for childhood acute otitis media

This study evaluates the “wait and see” attitude with childhood ear infections vs immediate antibiotic usage. This is really a neat article illuminating several points. First, it once again notes that antibiotics are NOT painkillers!! Antibiotics were not any more effective than placebo at reducing pain in the first 24 hours. After 24 hours they were more effective, but pain was also less severe after 24 hours anyway. 77% of the parents in the wait and see group were “very satisfied” and were less likely to believe in the effectiveness of antibiotics and in the need to see the doctor with future episodes. So, not only does using a “wait and see” approach produces similar results, but the parents seem to have a more realistic view in the effectiveness of medicine.

bmj.com Abstracts: Little et al. 322 (7282): 336

Read entire article here

Evidence Assessment of Management of Acute Otitis Media – (08-13-01)

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Evidence Assessment of Management of Acute Otitis Media

I’m not going to go into this in more detail, but I do want to once again stress that antibiotic resistance is really only a minor complication of antibiotic miss use.  Consider the long term chronic effects that destroying the normal flora has on overall health. Alterations in the GI tract can lead to a host of quality of life-destroying illness, potentially including allergies, asthma, Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis and most all autoimmune conditions. Consider that next time you’re given an antibiotic for a condition that will clear up just as quickly without it.

Pediatrics — Abstracts: Takata et al. 108 (2): 239

Read entire article here

EAR INFECTIONS IN YOUR CHILD? THEY NEED THIS…

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Ear infections are far too common in our children. The standard, although inappropriate, approach in medicine today is to use antibiotics. While this trend may have slowed somewhat, it is still far too prevalent. What else can be done to help prevent ear infections in our children?

It is not uncommon for a distraught mother to present to my office with her little toddler in tow, scared because their pediatrician has told them that having tubes put into the ears (myringotomy) is the only option left. This couldn’t be further from the truth. In most situations, pulling the child off of common allergens like dairy and putting them on a course of probiotics completely eliminates the ear infections that had “no options left except surgery.” Overall, it’s really not rocket science.

So what else can be done? How about chewing gum? Who would’ve thought that chewing gum could prevent ear infections? Before you run out to the gas station and pick up a pack for your 4 year old there are a few things you need to know.

In April of last year, we were taking Keegan (5 years old) to Disneyland. We stopped to gas up and he wanted some gum. No problem, right? Went into the gas station and spent the next 10 minutes trying to find gum that wasn’t toxic. Just how many artificial sweeteners can you shove into a small stick of gum? Some has aspartame, sucralose AND acesulfame K!! What happened to good ‘old fashioned sugar?

Good thing that we had, for years, already been using xylitol based gums that he could have as much as he wanted of. Xylitol is believed to work similiar to the d-mannose in cranberry juice (which keeps bacteria from sticking to the lining of our urinary tract) but in the nasopharynx in the back of the throat. It would seem reasonable to believe that chewing xylitol based gum would reduce the amount of ear infections in our children because you will have less bacteria in the back of the throat to create the infection.

Sure enough, in this Cochrane (the brilliant thinktank worldwide research consortium) review, researchers found that 2 pieces of xylitol based gum used 5 times per day were able to cut down ear infection (acute otitis media) rates by 25% in children attending daycare. Couple this with dairy avoidance and probiotics and it’s pretty much a lock.

Our office actually has this gum available for patients to try as well as packs for them to keep with them. At first this may seem like an odd choice for a chiropractic office, but if it can help cut down on the rates of ear infections in our kids, it fits with our mission.