BACKGROUND Otitis media is one of the most common infections among children and is a complication in about 30% of common colds. The most common complication of acute otitis media is otitis media with effusion. Some studies have reported the effects of montelukast and mometasone nasal spray in treatment of otitis media with effusion. However, current information is inadequate in this issue. OB...

Hyperplasia of the middle ear mucosa contributes to the sequelae of acute otitis media. Understanding the signal transduction pathways that mediate hyperplasia could lead to the development of new therapeutic interventions for this disease and its sequelae. Endotoxin derived from bacteria involved in middle ear infection can contribute to the hyperplastic response. The p38 mitogen-activated pro...

BACKGROUND Acute otitis media is a common reason for antibiotic prescribing, despite strong evidence that antibiotics provide minimal benefit. Studies have demonstrated that patients' (or parents') expectations of antibiotics often influence general practitioners' (GPs) decision to prescribe antibiotics, but few have explored parents' expectations of the management of infections in children, or...

OBJECTIVE Otitis media management involves both primary and specialist health care. The present study used data on GP referrals to estimate the proportion of children with otitis media referred from primary to specialist care, study variation in referral pattern and factors that influence GP behaviour. METHODS Data on general practitioners' view on collaborative aspects of specialist health c...

OBJECTIVE To determine the long term effects of antibiotic treatment for acute otitis media in young children. DESIGN Prospective three year follow-up study within the framework of a primary care based, double blind, randomised, placebo controlled trial. SETTING 53 general practices in the Netherlands. PARTICIPANTS 168 children aged 6 months to 2 years with acute otitis media. INTERVENT...

UNLABELLED The advent of new antiretroviral drugs such as protease inhibitors has generated sensible changes in morbity and mortality in HIV-infected patients. OBJECTIVES To evaluate the impact of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on the prevalence of chronic otitis media in HIV-infected pediatric population. METHODS We analyzed medical charts of 471 children aged zero to 12 year...

PURPOSE The purpose of this study was to examine the occlusion of children younger than 6 years with a diagnosis of otitis media. METHODS The study consisted of 112 children diagnosed with otitis media by their pediatrician. Parents were surveyed regarding their child's history of pacifier use, thumb/finger-sucking habit, mouthbreathing habit, method of feeding, day care attendance, snoring, ...

OBJECTIVE This study documents the influence of having an assigned Medicaid primary care physician (PCP) on the utilization of otitis media-related services. DESIGN/METHODS This is a retrospective study using the 1991 Colorado Medicaid administrative database that followed 28 844 children <13 years who had at least 1 visit for otitis media. RESULTS Children continuously enrolled in Medicaid...

Otitis media and mastoiditis occurring in infancy have long been recognized as most troublesome disorders and, of recent years, would appear to be receiving the attention they merit. The frequency of otitis media or otitis media and mastoiditis found both in the infants' wards and in the autopsy room of the Alder Hey Children's Hospital has led to this statistical and clinical enquiry into this...

CLINICAL QUESTION What is the best treatment for acute otitis media in children? RESULTS Watchful waiting, followed by amoxicillin treatment, if necessary, is the best first-line treatment for acute otitis media in children aged six months or older.