Acute otitis media in the first two months of life: characteristics and diagnostic difficulties

Abstract

The absence of predictors for bacterial infection in more than 70% of bacterial AOM suggests that empirical antibiotic treatment should be advised for the young infants with AOM even when afebrile and with normal laboratory profile. A low diagnostic rate of AOM by the paediatrician emphasizes the need for improvement in examination skills and instrumentation to allow a thorough ear evaluation in children of a very young age.

Documento de consenso sobre etiología, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la otitis media aguda

“…Niños menores de 2 meses (IIIC): la OMA se considera una enfermedad grave en estos niños por su riesgo de complicaciones, la inmunosupresión relativa del huésped y la posibilidad de distintos microorganismos causantes (infecciones por gramnegativos 48 ). Se recomienda ingreso hospitalario y, si es posible, timpanocentesis con toma de muestra de exudado ótico para cultivo 42 .…”

Documento de consenso sobre etiología, diagnóstico y tratamiento de la otitis media aguda

“…Children younger than two months (IIIC): AOM is considered a severe disease in these children due to the high risk for complications, the relative immunosuppresion of the host, and the possibility of there being more than one pathogen causing the disease (gram-negative pathogen infection 48 ). Admission to the hospital is recommended, and whenever possible, performance of a tympanocentesis to obtain a sample of otic exudate for culturing 42 .…”

Early Antiretroviral Therapy reduces the incidence of otorrhea in a randomized study of early and deferred antiretroviral therapy: Evidence from the C hildren with H IV E arly Antir etroviral Therapy (CHER) Study

“…Otorrhea typically occurs after perforation of the tympanic membrane as a complication of acute otitis media, with subsequent discharge of pus into the external ear canal. Acute otitis media is hard to diagnose in young infants due to non-specificity of presenting symptoms and the difficulty of visualizing the tympanic membrane [2]. Otorrhea, however, is easy to visualize and does not require any equipment [1].…”