"My child has an earache".

Appropriate management of acute infections of the middle ear rests upon the initial assessment. Therefore, one must become familiar with the technique of examination and learn how to recognize the variations in the appearance of ear drums.In the average medical practice, antibiotics are usually warranted. Ampicillin is the drug of choice under the age of four, while oral Penicillin V is recommended over the age of four. In urban private practice, where close supervision is feasible, 50 percent of earaches can be treated successfully without antibiotics; i.e., symptomatically. It is essential that all children with acute otitis media be followed until the drum appears normal and hearing has been fully restored.