Antibiotics vs no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics: Resolution of ear discharge ‐ measured after 4 weeks
- Population
- people with CSOM; one study included patients of unknown age; one study included children with CSOM who had not responded to initial antibiotic treatment
- Intervention
- Antibiotics
- Comparison
- no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics
- Outcome
- Resolution of ear discharge ‐ measured after 4 weeks
It is very uncertain whether systemic antibiotics changes resolution of ear discharge ‐ measured after 4 weeks (4 weeks)… compared with no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics (very low certainty).
What each review found
Include earlier review versions| Finding | Effect | Studies | GRADE certainty |
|---|---|---|---|
Systemic antibiotics vs no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics Resolution of ear discharge ‐ measured after 4 weeks (4 weeks) (Metronidazole plus gentamicin‐steroid drops compared to gentamicin‐steroid alone) · people with CSOM; one study included patients of unknown age; one study included children with CSOM who had not… It is very uncertain whether systemic antibiotics changes resolution of ear discharge ‐ measured after 4 weeks (4 weeks)… compared with no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics (very low certainty). Systemic antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media (2021) · Cochrane Headline outcomes only | RR 0.91 [0.51, 1.65] | 1 study · 30 participants | Very low |
Systemic antibiotics vs no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics Resolution of ear discharge ‐ measured after 4 weeks (6 weeks) (Oral trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole plus topical antibiotics and steroid ear drops compared to topical antibiotic and steroid ear drops alone) · people with CSOM; one study included patients of unknown age; one study included children with CSOM who had not… It is very uncertain whether systemic antibiotics changes resolution of ear discharge ‐ measured after 4 weeks (6 weeks) (Oral… compared with no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics (very low certainty). Systemic antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media (2021) · Cochrane Headline outcomes only | RR 1.54 [1.09, 2.16] | 1 study · 98 participants | Very low |
Findings are shown side by side, never pooled across reviews.
The reviews
| Review | Searched up to | Included studies | AMSTAR 2 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Systemic antibiotics for chronic suppurative otitis media 2021 · Cochrane Headline outcomes only | Not reported | Not extracted | Not assessed |
Related questions
The same intervention and outcome, asked in another population or against another comparator.
- Antibiotics vs no treatment or placebo on top of topical antiseptics · schoolchildren with CSOM · 1 review
- Antibiotics vs no treatment/placebo · children with CSOM · 1 review
- Antibiotics vs no treatment or placebo on top of topical antibiotics · people (of any age) with CSOM · 1 review
How reviews are matched to this question
Reviews word the same question differently. Four decision models (TypeSafe's Jev, Liquid AI's d1-ultra, SubQ Snap and Baseten's Elephant) judged each wording of the population, intervention, comparator and outcome against the others; two wordings count as the same when at least three of them agree and none clearly disagrees, and findings count as this question only when all four elements match. Timing, setting and subgroup never split a question: they are shown on each finding.