Homeopathy 2024; 113(01): A1-A26
DOI: 10.1055/s-0044-1779786
Presentation Abstracts
Oral Abstracts

Can Homeopathy Reduce Antibiotic Use while Maintaining Symptom Control for Otitis Media? A Systematic Review

Rachel Perry
1   Bristol Heart Institute and Bristol Trials Centre, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, United Kingdom
,
Alyson Huntley
2   Centre For Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, United Kingdom
,
Michael Teut
3   Institute for Social Medicine, Epidemiology and Health Economics, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Germany
,
Nai Ming Lai
4   School of Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, Taylor's University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
,
David Martin
5   Tübingen University Children’s Hospital, Tübingen University, Tübingen, Germany
6   Institute of Integrative Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Witten/Herdecke, Witten, Germany
,
Esther van der Werf
2   Centre For Academic Primary Care, Bristol Medical School, Bristol, United Kingdom
7   Homeopathy Research Institute, London, United Kingdom
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Background: Effective and safe non-antibiotic treatment may contribute to reducing antibiotic use and antimicrobial resistance (AMR), and meeting doctors’ and patients’ desire for symptom relief in (acute) Otitis Media (OM). This systematic review aims to assess whether homeopathy can effectively reduce OM symptoms and the use of antibiotics.

Methods: A search of Pubmed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Web of Science, AMED, CINAHL, CORE-Hom, and CAM-QUEST was conducted to identify all controlled trials (randomized (RCTs) and non-randomized (nRCTs) on individualised homeopathy (IH) and non-individualised homeopathy (non-IH)) in patients with OM. Data analysis and quality appraisal will be according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. Primary outcomes are symptom relief (severity and duration) and antibiotic use. Secondary outcomes include antibiotic prescribing, hearing loss, recurrence, health service and medication use, quality of life, re-consultation and adverse events. Meta-analyses are planned to be performed on the highest level of evidence available only (PROSPERO 2022 CRD42022367188).

Results: The search identified 507 records. 84 full-text papers were screened for eligibility. 9 studies were identified, of which 4 reported on the effectiveness of IH (n = 1: homeopathy vs. placebo; n = 3: homeopathy vs. standard care) and 5 on the effectiveness of non-IH (n = 1: homeopathy vs. placebo; n = 4: homeopathy vs. standard care). The effect of homeopathy on symptom relief and antibiotic use, and whether effects can be demonstrated over and above those expected with placebo, will be presented. Additionally, we will present findings on secondary outcomes.

Conclusion: This systematic review will give the most up-to-date evidence for the effectiveness and safety of homeopathy for (acute) OM. It will also guide the conduct of further clinical trials in the important topic area of the role of homeopathy in AMR.

Keywords: Antimicrobial resistance, otitis media, antibiotics, homeopathy, systematic review



Publication History

Article published online:
30 January 2024

© 2024. Faculty of Homeopathy. This article is published by Thieme.

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