I’m a bit confused so if I may try to clarify what I understand from your posting.  Your daughter had an ear infection and was put on a stress dose of her Cortef for an extended period of time and not on an antibiotic such as the augmentin that she is now on.  If I am correct in what I understood I am confused by this.  My son is 9 and has had two ear infections one when he was 11 mos and one when he was about 4 or 5.  He also had strep throat when he was 7ish.  He was only put on 24 hrs of stress does if he had a fever and was put on antibiotics as a "normal" course of treatment like any other child, just like my older daughter who suffered from many years of ear infections.  I don’t understand why Cortef would be given in place of.  Of course I may have misunderstood your posting and if I did my apologies.