NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #31/NN_1992_31.iso/spool/misc/kids/31248

Text File | 1992-12-29 | 3.4 KB | 66 lines

Newsgroups: misc.kids
Path: sparky!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!saimiri.primate.wisc.edu!zazen!psl.wisc.edu!lonetree.physics.wisc.edu!nicklaus
From: [e-mail] (Dennis Nicklaus)
Subject: Re: Preventive Antibiotics
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
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Date: Tue, 29 Dec 92 21:16:24 GMT
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In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (karen.l.carr) writes:
|> In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (Diane Segelhorst) writes:
|> > What have people's experiences been with preventive antibiotics?  Brad

|> Also, I would like people's opinions on tubes.  In particular, Alison's

|>     Karen
Not to give anything which might sound like medical advice, but here's what
we did/are doing:
Liana had an awful ear infection (in both ears) which lasted from the
end of july until the first week of October sometimes.  Pain, drainage,
etc., (but not too much effect on the rest of her system like diarrhea).
We tried several different antibiotics and none did much.  I think
what finally helped somewhat was the new one whose name I forget, but
it is made by Lederle.
What also helped was going to the ENT doctor, getting the drainage vacuumed
off and then applying topical eardrop antibiotics, in combo with the
oral.  The ENT made some comment at the end that if that last hadn't
helped, they probably would have had to hospitalize Liana and put
her on IV antibiotics.  The thought of that still makes me shudder.
Anyway, so it was a bad one.
The ENT specialist we were referred to told us that in small infants
(Liana was born in March and probably weighed about 13-16 lbs
while this was going on) under 1 year old, it really wasn't worth
putting in the tubes.  He said it would be a more logical step to do
if she were 1-2 yrs old.  I'm not completely sure of the reasons, but
maybe likelihood of them staying in place and the amount of growth going
on were part of his reasoning.
YMMV here of course, depending on the ENT.
ObHorrorStory: I took Liana for her first ENT visit where the Dr. gave
me the above reasoning about tubes.  My wife took Liana for the
2nd a couple days later, but it was with the ENT's partner
because the first one wasn't available that day.  We thought that the 2nd
visit would just be the same:  vacuum out the draining stuff.
But the partner ENT came in (after examination) with surgery authorization
papers for my wife to sign to insert tubes, which really threw my wife for a loop.
She called me to verify that we had agreed to NO tubes with the 1st ENT
and subsequently convinced the partner of that.  We were pretty shocked.
So it seems each Dr. will have his own theory. (And it would have
been nice if these ENTs had been able to at least present the illusion
of having talked about the case together.  We do still like the
first ENT, despite the experience.)


Anyway, since then, Liana has been on 1tsp of amoxicillin once/day
and hasn't had ear problems (tho she has a bad cold right now).
Both the ENT and our pediatrician recommended it since the 1st infection
was so bad, and we were more than willing to go along with it. Right
now we plan on sticking with it until the end of winter.
No bad effects from preventative antibiotics like yeast infection or anything.

Happy New Year!
Dennis