Comments on: Postponing antibiotic usage in children with ear infections http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html Life on the pharm Fri, 21 Nov 2008 22:23:58 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: RJS http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3179 RJS Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:49:40 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3179 Thanks for the info. I will check them out as soon as I'm done going over pain management. :) The irony, of course, is that I feel an ear infection developing in my right ear as I sit here. I just got over one in my left about 2 weeks ago. :( Thanks for the info. I will check them out as soon as I'm done going over pain management. :)

The irony, of course, is that I feel an ear infection developing in my right ear as I sit here. I just got over one in my left about 2 weeks ago. :(

]]> By: nzdoc http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3176 nzdoc Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:20:55 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3176 FWIW, here is the Cochrane review on the topic: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000219.pub2 FWIW, here is the Cochrane review on the topic:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000219.pub2

]]> By: nzdoc http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3175 nzdoc Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:16:51 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3175 I believe the paper in question is the one below, although I don't have a copy on me at the moment: Van Buchem FL, Peeters MF, van’t Hof MA. Acute otitis media: a new treatment strategy. BMJ 1985;290:1033-7. There was a similar study more recently looking at younger children: Damoiseaux RAMJ, van Balen FAM, Hoes AW, Verheij TJM, de Melker RA. Primary care based randomised, double blind trial of amoxicillin versus placebo for acute otitis media in children aged under 2 years. BMJ 2000; 320:350-4. (http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/320/7231/350) While judicious use of antibiotics is advocated here, in practice the reality is often different. A sense of entitlement is prevalent here too! I believe the paper in question is the one below, although I don't have a copy on me at the moment:

Van Buchem FL, Peeters MF, van’t Hof MA. Acute otitis media: a new treatment strategy. BMJ 1985;290:1033-7.

There was a similar study more recently looking at younger children:

Damoiseaux RAMJ, van Balen FAM, Hoes AW, Verheij TJM, de Melker RA. Primary care based randomised, double blind trial of amoxicillin versus placebo for acute otitis media in children aged under 2 years. BMJ 2000; 320:350-4.

(http://bmj.bmjjournals.com/cgi/content/full/320/7231/350)

While judicious use of antibiotics is advocated here, in practice the reality is often different. A sense of entitlement is prevalent here too!

]]> By: RJS http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3174 RJS Fri, 20 Oct 2006 22:01:05 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3174 That's interesting. Here in the US, at least with docs that have been around for a while, there is no push to avoid antibiotics. I have mentioned patient entitlement a few times on this website before, and it's certainly a real phenomenon. At least here in the US, where people like to think a pill is the best solution to everything. I'd like to read that study if you can pull it up, and it's freely available. :) That's interesting. Here in the US, at least with docs that have been around for a while, there is no push to avoid antibiotics. I have mentioned patient entitlement a few times on this website before, and it's certainly a real phenomenon. At least here in the US, where people like to think a pill is the best solution to everything.

I'd like to read that study if you can pull it up, and it's freely available. :)

]]> By: nzdoc http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3144 nzdoc Fri, 20 Oct 2006 06:52:59 +0000 http://onthepharm.net/2006/09/ear-infection-antibiotic-delay.html#comment-3144 I graduated from med school about 12 months ago, and from day 1 it was always drummed in to us that in *most* cases otitis media = no antibiotics. The key study in this decision was done in Holland, demonstrating a NNT of 17. Can fish out the details for you if you're interested... I graduated from med school about 12 months ago, and from day 1 it was always drummed in to us that in *most* cases otitis media = no antibiotics. The key study in this decision was done in Holland, demonstrating a NNT of 17. Can fish out the details for you if you're interested…

]]>