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Review
. 2023 May;21(5):523-534.
doi: 10.1080/14787210.2023.2206565. Epub 2023 Apr 28.

New insights into the treatment of acute otitis media

Rana E El Feghaly  1   2 , Amanda Nedved  1   2 , Sophie E Katz  3 , Holly M Frost  4   5   6
Affiliations
Review

New insights into the treatment of acute otitis media

Rana E El Feghaly et al. Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2023 May.

Abstract

Introduction: Acute otitis media (AOM) affects most (80%) children by 5 years of age and is the most common reason children are prescribed antibiotics. The epidemiology of AOM has changed considerably since the widespread use of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, which has broad-reaching implications for management.

Areas covered: In this narrative review, we cover the epidemiology of AOM, best practices for diagnosis and management, new diagnostic technology, effective stewardship interventions, and future directions of the field. Literature review was performed using PubMed and ClinicalTrials.gov.

Expert opinion: Inaccurate diagnoses, unnecessary antibiotic use, and increasing antimicrobial resistance remain major challenges in AOM management. Fortunately, effective tools and interventions to improve diagnostic accuracy, de-implement unnecessary antibiotic use, and individualize care are on the horizon. Successful scaling of these tools and interventions will be critical to improving overall care for children.

Keywords: Acute otitis media; amoxicillin; antibiotic stewardship; pneumococcal vaccines; treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

R El Feghaly has received a research grant from Merck. H Frost serves as a Senior Scientific Advisor for QuidelOrtho and holds a patent for Diagnosing and Treating Otitis Media #63/335,801. QuidoOrtho had no role in the design, content, or interpretation of the review. S Katz serves as a consultant for Optum and has a research grant from Pfizer, neither of which had any role in the design, content, or interpretation of the review. A Nedved serves as a project leader on an antibiotic stewardship project sponsored by the American Academy of Pediatrics and funded by Pfizer. A Nedved has a research grant from Merck. The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or material discussed in the manuscript.

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