Validity of topical analgesic therapy in the treatment of acute otitis media in children

Abstract

E.P. Karpova1, V.A. Belov1,2, A.I. Asmanov2 1Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education, Moscow, Russian Federation 2Veltishchev Institute, Moscow, Russian Federation Acute otitis media (AOM) in children is one of the most common diseases. The provision of medical care in AOM is performed in accordance with the relevant clinical recommendations approved by the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. The article presents the risk factors concerning the AOM development in children, gives a brief description of the etiological factors and specifics about the pathogenetic mechanism. The clinical symptom patterns and diagnosis of AOM in infants are analyzed. In the treatment of AOM in children, antibiotics are prescribed more commonly than in other diseases. The article also considers the basic principles of prescribing systemic antibacterial drugs in AOM, as well as indications and benefits of using high doses of antibacterial drugs. In otalgia, the relief of ear pain is precisely the primary task. The positive role of topical otic anesthetics as first-line drugs is discussed, which helps to reduce the frequency of antibiotic use. Topical analgesic treatment in AOM is preferable because it avoids adverse events from systemic antibacterial drugs, and anesthesia may be faster, more intense and last longer versus oral analgesia. Special attention is paid to the description of the benefits, efficacy and safety of topical otic anesthetic drops with a combination of lidocaine + phenazone. The results of researches and clinical studies are presented, pathogenetically substantiating the expediency of using the lidocaine + phenazone combination in AOM and confirming its efficacy and safety. Keywords: acute otitis media, conservative treatment, risk factors, clinical recommendations, phenazone, lidocaine, children. For citation: Karpova E.P., Belov V.A., Asmanov A.I. Validity of topical analgesic therapy in the treatment of acute otitis media in children. Russian Journal of Woman and Child Health. 2023;6(4):411–416 (in Russ.). DOI: 10.32364/2618-8430-2023-6-4-14.