PEROPERATIVE ANTIBIOTIC STEROID PROPHYLAXIS OF TYMPANOSTOMY TUBE OTORRHEA - CHEMICAL OR MECHANICAL EFFECT/

The per-operative instillation of ototopical antibiotic/steroid drops reduces the incidence of early otorrhoea after tympanostomy tube inser tion. Whether this is due to the chemical properties of the antibiotic /steroid or simply the mechanical instillation of fluid is unclear. In this paired matched study of 161 subjects Gentisone HC was shown to s ignificantly reduce the otorrhoea rate compared to normal saline (1.24 per cent compared with 9.32 per cent, p<0.005, difference 8.07 per ce nt, 95 per cent confidence interval for difference 3.21 per cent to 12 .93 per cent). Capillary viscosimetry proved Gentisone HC to be more v iscous than normal saline. The benefits are due to Gentisone HC's chem ical properties, and Gentisone HC rather than normal saline instillati on per-operatively is recommended when tympanostomy tubes are inserted .