INTRODUCTION: In the UK, about 30% of children under 3 years of age visit their GP each year with acute otitis media (AOM), and 97% of these receive antibiotics. In the US, AOM is the most common reason for outpatient antibiotic treatment. Without antibiotics, AOM resolves within 24 hours in about 60% of children, and within 3 days in about 80% of children. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments for AOM in children; and what are the effects of interventions to prevent recurrence? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to September 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). RESULTS: We found 29 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: analgesics, antibiotics, delayed antibiotics, immediate antibiotics, long-term antibiotic prophylaxis, longer courses of antibiotics, myringotomy, pneumococcal vaccination, tympanostomy with ventilation tubes, xylitol syrup or gum, and influenza vaccination.
INTRODUCTION: In the UK, about 30% of children under 3 years of age visit their GP each year with acute otitis media (AOM), and 97% of these receive antibiotics. In the US, AOM is the most common reason for outpatient antibiotic treatment. Without antibiotics, AOM resolves within 24 hours in about 60% of children, and within 3 days in about 80% of children. METHODS AND OUTCOMES: We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of treatments for AOM in children; and what are the effects of interventions to prevent recurrence? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to September 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). RESULTS: We found 29 systematic reviews, RCTs, or observational studies that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions. CONCLUSIONS: In this systematic review we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: analgesics, antibiotics, delayed antibiotics, immediate antibiotics, long-term antibiotic prophylaxis, longer courses of antibiotics, myringotomy, pneumococcal vaccination, tympanostomy with ventilation tubes, xylitol syrup or gum, and influenza vaccination.
Authors: L Bertin; G Pons; P d'Athis; J F Duhamel; C Maudelonde; G Lasfargues; M Guillot; A Marsac; B Debregeas; G Olive Journal: Fundam Clin Pharmacol Date: 1996 Impact factor: 2.748
Authors: Maroeska M Rovers; Paul Glasziou; Cees L Appelman; Peter Burke; David P McCormick; Roger A Damoiseaux; Isabelle Gaboury; Paul Little; Arno W Hoes Journal: Lancet Date: 2006-10-21 Impact factor: 79.321
Authors: David M Spiro; Khoon-Yen Tay; Donald H Arnold; James D Dziura; Mark D Baker; Eugene D Shapiro Journal: JAMA Date: 2006-09-13 Impact factor: 56.272
Authors: Kim Stol; Suzanne J C Verhaegh; Kees Graamans; Joost A M Engel; Patrick D J Sturm; Willem J G Melchers; Jacques F Meis; Adilia Warris; John P Hays; Peter W M Hermans Journal: Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol Date: 2013-01-29 Impact factor: 1.675