Secretory Otitis Media
17 Sep, 08 | by Ian Wacogne
In a randomised trial comparing two different bacterial nasal spray infusions with placebo in 60 children who had longstanding secretory otitis media, 7 of 19 given Streptococcus sanguinis had clinical improvement. Here.
Now that is interesting, isn’t it? If I read this correctly, these were all patients on the verge of getting ventilation tubes. And more than a third of the patients given the Strep sanguinis nasal spray got better, obviating the need for a surgical procedure. The authors are unable to come up with a biological mechanism. And there are some complex stats in table 2 of the full text which to be honest I can’t follow fully. It is, however, a startling outcome. Obviously this is just a preliminary study - how many of them will get worse again, etc etc. But perhaps another role for probiotics. Incidentally, I’ve not yet read about any harm from antibiotics - except, of course, to the purse or wallet. Anyone?
“Incidentally, I’ve not yet read about any harm from antibiotics”
Do they not have fatal penicillin allergy in Birmingham then?
7/19 vs. 1/17 vs. 3/18 cure rates in three groups still looks a lot like chance to me, even if they’s ’statistically significant’ differences. Let’s have another study, and see if we get the same result, then move in with the probiosis for your proboscis.
Bob Phillips
September 17th, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Ah, damn your ability to spot my typos… I’ll resist the temptation to edit, but just point out that I meant two write “probiotics” - which is still an interesting question - do normal people get harmed by them? What about immunosuppressed people?
Probiosis for your proboscis? How long did it take you to come up with that one…
Alternative question: Is more harm done by penicillin allergy or by people thinking they’ve got penicillin allergy when they haven’t? (Answers on a postcard…)
Ian Wacogne
September 18th, 2008 at 11:12 am