DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog

A strain of bacteria responsible for ear infections in children has been discovered to be resistant to all eighteen antibiotics approved for pediatric use, according to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association.  Pediatricians discovered the strain by performing a procedure known as tympanocentesis (or an "ear tap"), and analyzing the fluid.  The strain, known by scientists as 19A, can be eradicated only with levofloxacin, an antibiotic approved for use in adults, but which specifically carries a warning against use in children.

There have been 9 recorded cases of ear infection involving the 19A strain of bacteria; 4 of those cases were resolved surgically with the implantation of ear tubes, and 5 were successfully treated with adult-approved levofloxacin.  Research has suggested that drugs such as levofloxacin can deteriorate the cartilage of weight-bearing joints in children, making the drugs medically indicated only in cases in which the drug's potential benefits outweigh the potential for joint damage. 

The authors report that 83% of U.S. children experience one or more ear infections by age 3. 

Previously on the DC Metro Area Medical Malpractice Law Blog, we have posted articles related to:

• New evidence that 80% of hospitalized children get adult medications
• 20 Tips to prevent medical errors in children 
• A study showing that physicians ignore ear ache treatment guidelines
• Research demonstrating that antibiotic-resistant infection rates are increasing

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