Acute otitis media. One year in general pediatric practice.

Diagnosis and treatment of otitis media (OM) occupied approximately one third of a pediatrician's time between October 1978 and October 1979. Of 4,602 office visits for sickness, 18% involved a diagnosis of acute OM, and an additional 14% were for follow-up of OM. Incidence was highest in March and lowest in July-August. The 830 episodes involved 677 children aged 1 week to 17 years: 40% were 24 months old or younger, and 12% were 60 months old or older. Pain and querulousness were absent in 24% of those brought in for mild upper respiratory tract infection, and fever (38.2 degrees C or higher) was absent in 75% of the study group. Of 650 children who returned ten days later for reevaluation, 50% had otoscopic or tympanometric signs of OM with effusion.