RESUMO
Over a period of 3 months a complete record was kept in 8 large medical institutions (in the Rostock county) of all children with acute otitis media and an analysis was made of the customary medical procedures followed by doctors for the diagnostics and treatment of these cases. Of the 761 patients (407 boys and 354 girls) 90% were babies and infants; more then 50% of these cases were suffering from otitis media serosa; 25% of the total did not receive antibiotics. A systemic antibiotic therapy was usually prescribed "blindly" and preference (83.7%) was given to penicillins and Berlocombin (a trimethoprim sulfonamide compound). In more than 2/3 of the cases the treatment was given by a paediatrician alone, in less than 10% of the cases only by the ENT specialist and the rest were treated by both departments. It would be advisable to start now to rethink the medical procedures related to initial bacteriological diagnostics as well as the local treatment of the auditory channel. In addition, there is an urgent need for a general "Recommendation on the diagnostics and therapy of otitis media acuta in children". This is now being prepared and should be approved by both specialist associations.
