SAFETY OF TOPICAL EAR DROPS CONTAINING OTOTOXIC ANTIBIOTICS

Objective: Topical application of ear drops containing ototoxic antibi otics is commonly used for treatment of middle ear diseases. Because o f their ototoxic potential, we evaluated the safety of these ear drops in clinical use. Methods: The study included 446 children who underwe nt myringotomy and the insertion of tympanostomy tubes. Three hundred and fifty-eight received preventive treatment after the operation with polymyxin B-neomycin-dexamethasone ear drops for 2 weeks; 88 did not receive any ear drops. Audiometric tests were performed before the ope ration and up to 3 months following it. Results: All 446 children had a normal sensorineural hearing threshold before and after the operatio n. There was no sensorineural hearing loss in the group that was treat ed with ear drops. Conclusions: Our experience leads us to believe tha t topical ear drops containing ototoxic antibiotics are clinically saf e to use for a short period of time.