Kampo Therapy to Treat Intractable Otitis Media in the Elderly; Experience Using Hochu-ekki-to

Abstract

Otitis media with effusion (OME) in middle-aged to elderly patients rarely becomes serious, but can recur frequently. In this study, three patients who were initially diagnosed as having OME, who had resisted treatment and went on to develop combined infections, in addition to three typical adult OME patients, were evaluated. In addition to paracentesis and short-term administration of antibiotics, the subjects also received Hochu-ekki-to. As a result, the period before OME recurrence was extended in all patients, and all subjects reported a reduced frequency in infectious complications. Therefore, using Hochu-ekki-to in combination with antibiotics was deemed useful in treating intractable OME in the elderly who tend to develop combined infections.