MODIFIED BUROW’S SOLUTION IS EFFECTIVE ON REFRACTORY OTORRHEA

Osamu Jinnouchi,1 Noriaki Takeda2

1Department of Otolaryngology, Anankyoei Hospital, Anan city, Tokushima, Japan; 2Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, Tokushima, Japan

Introduction

Burow’s solution, which contains 13% aluminum acetate, has been shown to be effective against chronic otitis media.1 Since the preparation of Burow’s solution is time-consuming, its rapid preparation method has been recently developed.2 In this study, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of the modified Burow’s solution on refractory otorrhea in patients with chronic suppurative otitis and its anti-microbial activity in vitro.

Methods

Fourteen ears of 12 patients with chronic otitis media, granular myringitis, otitis externa and postoperative mastoid cavity problems were treated topically with cotton swab/ball soaked with modified Burow’s solution or its four-fold diluted ear drops once a week. We then examined the antimicrobial spectrum of modified Burow’s solution against clinical bacterial isolates from otorrhea and laboratory bacterial strains in vitro.

Results

In all ears, refractory otorrhea disappeared after one to17 weeks of treatment with modified Burow’s solution with a mean of 5.4 weeks, without apparent side effects such as ototoxicity. Modified Burow’s solution inactivated all Gram-positive bacteria within five minutes except Enterococcus species, all Gram-negative bacteria including Pseudomonas aeruginosa within 30 seconds and Candida albicans within two minutes (Table 1). In addition, modified Burow’s solution inactivated MRSA completely within five minutes, while 80.6% of MRSA survived even a 20-minute contact with 0.3% ofloxacin.

Conclusion

These findings indicate that modified Burow’s solution, in addition to bearing a broad antimicrobial activity, is as effective as the original Burow’s solution in the treatment of chronic suppurative otitis.

Table 1. Anti-microbial activity of modified Burow’s solution against clinical bacterial isolates from otorrhoea and laboratory bacterial strains.

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References

1.Goldwyn RM. Carl August Burrow. Plast Reconstr Surg 73:687–690, 1983

2.Ishibashi Y, et al. Pharmaceutical and pharmacological evaluation of Burow’s solution (aluminum acetate solution), a hospital preparation, and development of its rapid preparation method. Yakugaku Zasshi 124(11):833–840, 2004

Address for correspondence: Noriaki Takeda, Department of Otolaryngology, Institute of Health Biosciences, The University of Tokushima Graduate School, 3–18-15 Kuramoto-cho, Tokushima 770–8503, Japan. takeda@clin.med.tokushima-u.ac.jp

Cholesteatoma and Ear Surgery – An Update, pp. 415–416

Edited by Haruo Takahashi

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