Treatment cost effectiveness in acute otitis media: A watch-and-wait approach versus amoxicillin

In Canada, antimicrobial treatment is the most common approach for acute otitis media. The aim of the present study was to compare the cost effectiveness of treatment with amoxicillin versus a watch-and-wait approach (WAIT) within a Canadian pediatric setting. Four hundred eighty-eight children, six months to five years of age, who participated in a randomized controlled trial were included in the study. The average medication costs per patient were higher for the amoxicillin group ($17.26) than for the WAIT group ($4.33). However, both health care ($148.44 versus $162.48) and patient costs ($23.50 versus $31.87) were greater for the WAIT group. The mean cost of treatment for the amoxicillin group was $189.20, compared with $198.68 for the WAIT group. Amoxicillin may be cost effective in treating children with acute otitis media. The potential development of antimicrobial resistance was not addressed in the present study.