Acute otitis media. Diagnosis and treatment Otitis media aguda. Diagnóstico y tratamiento

Abstract

Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common causes of medical visit and antimicrobial use in children. A rationale management approach requires a thorough clinical exam and updated knowledge on local patterns of microorganisms involved and antimicrobial susceptibility profiles. Clinical diagnosis should be performed with pneumatic otoscopy. The most common microorganism causing AOM in Santiago, Chile according to local studies are Streptococcus pneumoniae (40%), non-capsulated Haemophilus influenzae (29%), Streptococcus pyogenes (7%) and Moraxella catarrhalis (4%). S. pneumoniae has acquired resistance to penicillin in the last decade, resistance that has been extrapolated to other β-lactams such as amoxicillin, reason why broader spectrum antimicrobials are routinely prescribed. Clinical practice has consistently shown although that the great majority of children receiving amoxicillin at a dose of 80-100 mg/kg/day resolve their AOM. Recent studies from our group have demonstrat