[A meaningful antibiotic therapy of diseases of the ear, nose and throat in old age (author's transl)].

Each stage of life is characterized by the prevalence of certain affections; among others, inflammatory diseases of the ear, nose and throat are frequent in old age. Therefore, specific problems of chemotherapy in old age are dealt with in general terms in the introduction, with special stress being placed on the functions of individual organs, mainly of the kidneys, and on questions of disturbed absorption. Inflammations caused by streptococci, requiring at least ten days of antibiotic treatment, always deserve particular attention, and so do staphyloccocal diseases, requiring the selective administration of semi-synthetic pencillines (sioxazol preparations). Penicillin is still the first choice among all antibiotics, penicillin substitutes, to be used in case of allergies, are listed according to their order of value. As anaerobic germs may also be present in the ENT area, the effective modern therapy by means of special antibiotics is also referred to. Finally, due consideration is given to local antibiotic therapy, with an emphasis on the ototoxicity of chemotherapeutical agents, such as amino-glycosides.