Presentation and management of children with acute otitis media at primary care level

ABSTRACT

To determine the patterns of presentation of acute otitis media [AOM] diagnostic ability and antibiotic prescription by family physicians. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at 11 PHCC in Riyadh city in Saudi Arabia over 3 month period. Twenty eight family physicians participated in the study. A total of 135 children, less than 5 years of age and presenting with a new episode of AOM were included. The age group [> 30] months had more children presenting with earache compared to other age groups [p < 0.05]. Redness of the TM had the highest [> 50%] certainty level compared to other TM signs [94%] p < 0.05, while retracted TM had the highest [antibiotics. Amoxicillin [41%] was the commonly prescribed antibiotic. Presentation of AOM was linked to age group. Antibiotic -were widely and inconsistently prescribed for AOM