Antimicrobial Prophylaxis
Gordon E. Schutze MD1
Richard F. Jacobs MD2
1 Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Pathology
2 Professor of Pediatrics and Chief, Pediatric Infectious Diseases, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Arkansas Children's Hospital, Little Rock
The issue of antimicrobial prophylaxis in preventing infections in infants and children is important in the practice of pediatrics. Children are especially prone to certain infections, and pathogens are amenable to prophylaxis. Chemoprophylaxis may be used to prevent primary disease (eg, ophthalmia neonatorum) or recurrent infections (eg, otitis media). Individuals exposed to certain micro-organisms (eg, Neisseria meningitidis) or immunosuppressed patients (eg, those who are asplenic) may benefit from prophylaxis in certain situations. The duration of chemoprophylaxis may be as short as two doses (eg, endocarditis prophylaxis) or may last a lifetime (eg, rheumatic fever prophylaxis).
Questions concerning the potential benefits of antimicrobial prophylaxis are quite common, and many of the answers are controversial. Because the list of specific pathogens and conditions for prophylaxis is quite long, this review will encompass only the more common conditions encountered in a busy general pediatric practice (Table 1).
Otitis Media
Acute otitis media is the most common diagnosis made in children when visits to the physician are prompted by illness. For every three children who have acute otitis media with effusion, one will suffer from recurrent acute otitis media: antimicrobial prophylaxis, tympanostomy tube placement, and adenoidectomy. Of these options, only chemoprophylaxis can be managed by the primary physician.
