TREATMENT OF OTITIS DUE TO PNEUMOCOCCI WI TH DIMINISHED SUSCEPTIBILITY TO PENICILLIN AFTER FAILURE OF INITIAL THERAPY

Pneumococci are responsible for about 30% of acute otitis media cases in young children. The impressive increase in pneumococcal resistance has not been accompanied by a parallel increase in therapeutic failure s, as AOM often resolves spontaneously. However, it is clearly a cause for concern in this setting. In a retrospective unicenter study, we i nvestigated the efficacy of high-dose oral amoxicillin (150 mg/kg/day for 10 days) on AOM due to pneumococci with diminished susceptibility to penicillin, after failure of first-line treatment.