New guidelines released for treating children's ear infections
Updated 8:11 am, Wednesday, February 27, 2013
A new report on ear infection treatment released Tuesday from the American Academy of Pediatrics asks pediatricians to use more stringent criteria to determine whether to treat a child's ear infection with antibiotics.
A committee comprised of primary care physicians and other medical experts created the updated guidelines, which will help to manage uncomplicated ear infections in children ages 6 months to 12 years.
The guidelines also help doctors determine if they should treat with pain relievers or observation alone, based on the age of the child and the severeity of symptoms.
Ear infections are the most common condition for which children receive antibiotics, the report states.
Doctor visits for ear infections have decreased in recent years, partly because of financial or insurance issues, public education campaigns about viral infections not treatable with antibiotics and increased use of the pneumococcal vaccine and the flu vaccine.
However, the report states that research showed no change in physicians' prescribing rates of antibiotics for ear infections after similar guidelines were released in May 2004 urging more stringent criteria for antibiotic use.