Effects of levofloxacin combined with dexamethasone ear drops on suppurative otitis media and analysis of influencing factors.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the effects of levofloxacin combined with dexamethasone ear drops on suppurative otitis media (SOM) and factors influencing the effects. METHODS: A total of 149 patients with SOM admitted to Liangxiang Hospital, Fangshan District were selected and allocated to the control group (n = 70, treated with levofloxacin) or the research group (n = 79, treated with levofloxacin combined with dexamethasone ear drops) in this retrospective study. The following parameters were collected from both groups: treatment efficacy, pathogen clearance rate, adverse reactions, hearing metrics, time to symptom resolution, and serum biochemical parameters. Subsequently, univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess factors influencing treatment efficacy. RESULTS: The total effective rate (P = 0.001) and pathogen clearance rate (P = 0.012) in the research group were notably higher than those in the control group, while the overall incidence of adverse reactions (P = 0.005), post-treatment hearing metrics (P < 0.05), time to symptom resolution (P < 0.01), and serum biochemical parameters (P < 0.05) were notably lower than those in the control group. Univariate and multivariate analyses identified tympanic membrane perforation size (P = 0.003), disease activity (P = 0.040), and treatment method (P = 0.004) as independent factors influencing treatment efficacy in SOM patients. CONCLUSION: Levofloxacin combined with dexamethasone ear drops has a significant effect on SOM. For patients with active purulent ear discharge, and large tympanic membrane perforation, levofloxacin combined with dexamethasone has a lower risk of treatment failure.