Clinical Use of a Novel, Single‐Dose Treatment for Bacterial or Fungal Otitis Externa

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the efficacy of a novel, single-dose, physician-administered viscous suspension for treatment of either acute bacterial otitis externa (ABOE) or fungal otitis externa (FOE). Methods: Eighty-nine consecutive patients seen by a single author in an outpatient, private practice clinic were diagnosed empirically with either ABOE (n = 52) or FOE (n = 37) based on patient symptoms, appearance of the external auditory canal, and presence or absence of fungal elements. All external auditory canals were debrided when necessary under microscopy, then filled with a viscous otic suspension containing clotrimazole 1%, ciprofloxacin 0.3%, and dexamethasone 0.1%. The canal was occluded with a cotton ball, and patients were followed up at various intervals. Results: Of the 52 ABOE patients, 48 experienced complete symptom resolution at 2.5 days on average and all patients had complete resolution on exam (2 patients had cellulitis requiring systemic antibiotics, 1 patient was nonverbal, and 1 patient had temporal-mandibular joint arthralgia pain that persisted despite treatment). All 37 FOE patients experienced complete symptom relief at 3 days on average and normal exam at follow-up. No patient experienced adverse effects from treatment, required debridement at follow-up, or experienced recurrence. Conclusions: The novel suspension used in this study was capable of achieving a very high rate of clinical cure and complete symptom relief in three days or less on average for patients with ABOE or FOE using a single physician administered dose without adverse reactions.