Settembre 1998 - Volume XVII - numero 7

Medico e Bambino


Problemi correnti

Trattare o non trattare? Il caso dell’otite media acuta

FEDERICO MARCHETTI

Pediatra di libera scelta, ASL di Lanciano-Vasto (Chieti)

SHOULD WE TREAT ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA WITH ANTIBIOTICS?

Key words: Antibiotics, Acute otitis media, Metanalysis

The Author reviews the available evidence on antibiotic treatment of Acute Otitis Media (AOM) on the basis of current evidence, including two recent metanalyses. Antibiotic treatment of AOM, given the self-limited character of AOM, produces little additional benefit. This can be quantified in earlier desappearance of hearache and reduced risk of controlateral otitis. Complications are exceedingly rare and never severe. However, on the basis of available studies, a few risk factors for failure (defined as late resolution, complication, or recurrence) can be identified for AOM: age less than 15 months and/or attendance of a day care centre, history of severe or recurrent or very recent otitis, otorrhea. These at risk children (usually representing not more than 10% of cases) should receive a 5-day course of antibiotic (amoxycillin), while the others can be treated with antinflammatory agents alone, with antibiotics restricted to cases that fail to improve after 2-3 days. This approach is advantageous also from the point of view of prevention of antibiotic resistance.

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F. Marchetti
Trattare o non trattare? Il caso dell’otite media acuta
Medico e Bambino 1998;17(7):453-455 https://www.medicoebambino.com/?id=9807_453.pdf


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