Comparison of amoxicillin administered twice and three times daily in children with acute otitis media

Abstract

Abstract Purpose To compare the effectiveness of amoxicillin administered in regimens of two or three daily doses in children with acute otitis media (AOM). As a secondary aim, we measured and compared treatment adherence between the two groups. Methods A prospective observational study was conducted in the emergency department of a children’s hospital. Results We recruited a total of 353 patients having a median age of 1.58 years. Twice-daily dosing was prescribed to 58%, while 42% received three doses per day. The clinical course of AOM was favourable in 92% of the patients who received two doses of amoxicillin and in 95% of those who received three doses (P = 0.25). Four patients (1%) had persistent symptoms beyond day seven. None developed intracranial complications. In the group receiving three doses daily, 31% reported difficulties with the dosing schedule, and 9.6% faced challenges when administering the medication at the specified volume, compared with 5.8% and 25% of those who received the two-dose regimen, respectively. Conclusion Twice-daily amoxicillin has similar efficacy to a three-dose daily regimen and can offer advantages for caregivers in terms of administration schedule.