Skip to main content

Otitis Media

Sahil Mullick, FAAFP, MD and Juan M Pernia, MD Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Inflammation of the middle ear; usually accompanied by fluid collection

  • Acute otitis media (AOM): inflammation of the middle ear. Rapid onset; cause may be infectious, either viral (A...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • AOM:

    • Otalgia

    • Preceding or accompanying URI symptoms

    • Decreased hearing

  • AOM in adults can present with only otalgia without fever, or unilateral hearing loss.

  • AOM in infants and toddlers may...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Assess pain and if present, recommend treatment to decrease otalgia.

  • Two-thirds of children will recover without any antibiotic treatment.

  • AOM: Observation with watchful waitin...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patients with otitis media who do not respond within 48 to 72 hours should be reevaluated. Consider changing the antibiotic. 

Patient Monitoring

  • AOM: Up to 40% may ...

REFERENCES

1
Rosario DC, Mendez MD. Chronic Suppurative Otitis. 2022 Mar 15. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan–. PMID: 32119479.
2
Ben-Shimol S, Givon-Lavi ...

SEE ALSO

Algorithm: Ear Pain/Otalgia 

CODES

ICD10

  • H65 Nonsuppurative otitis media

  • H65.0 Acute serous otitis media

  • H65.00 Acute serous otitis media, unspecified ear

  • H65.01 Acute serous otitis media, right ear

  • H65.02 Acute serous otitis media, l...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Pneumatic otoscopy is the single most specific and clinically useful test for diagnosis.

  • Consider a delay of antibiotics for 24 to 48 hours in uncomplicated presentations (>6 months ...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

 
×