There are no definite guidelines regarding the most adequate steroid regimens for acute acoustic trauma.

To elucidate the dose-dependent differing benefits of oral steroids on hearing improvement following acute acoustic trauma.

Twenty-nine patients treated with oral steroids following a diagnosis of unilateral acute acoustic trauma were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were sorted into two groups with an oral steroid regimen. Group 1 received a 14-day course of treatment: 60 mg prednisolone daily for 10 days, tapering off over days 11–14. Group 2 received prednisolone for a total of 10 days: 60 mg for 5 days, tapering down each day for the remainder. Multivariable linear regression analysis was performed to evaluate the factors associated with the hearing gain.

In the multivariable regression (R2 = 0.51, p < 0.001), patients in group 1 showed more significant improvement in the degree of hearing gain compared to group 2 (p = 0.03).

After comparing the differing benefits of oral steroids on hearing improvement by dosage, we recommend a high dose of prednisolone (60 mg per day) for 10 days, tapering over the remaining 4 days, for better hearing recovery following acute acoustic trauma.

To compare the efficacy of two treatment regimens among Helicobacter pylori stool antigen positive children suffering from resistant otitis media with effusion.

The study comprised 258 children with bilateral otitis media with effusion; 134 were positive for H pylori stool antigen, and were equally and randomly allocated to the control group or study group. The control group received standard otitis media with effusion therapy (amoxicillin and clavulanate), while the study group received standard H pylori triple therapy (clarithromycin, metronidazole and lansoprazole).

In the control group, there was a marked clinical response to treatment in 33 of the 67 children (49.3 per cent). In the study group, there was a marked response in a significantly higher number of children (46 out of 67, 68.7 per cent). The 124 H pylori stool antigen negative children not included in the 2 aforementioned groups received amoxicillin and clavulanate, and a marked response in symptoms was evident in 98 of these children (79 per cent).

H pylori infection may lead to resistance to traditional otitis media with effusion treatment in some cases. H pylori eradication is associated with a high cure rate.