Amoxicillin: A Review of Two Articles
The purpose of this paper is two examine two studies on the topic of the efficacy of amoxicillin or amoxicillin clavulanate as treatments for otitis media. The paper will describe the two studies, point out the major differences, and concludes with speculation as to why one study recommends the broad-spectrum penicillin antibiotic whereas the other recommends a wait and see approach.
Design of the Studies
Both the Dutch study, Damoiseaux et al. (2000), and the Finnish study, Tahtinen et al. (2011), used a randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled design to test the efficacy of amoxicillin or amoxicillin clavulanate. The inclusionary criteria in the Damoiseaux ...