Pediatric Acute Otitis Research Articles

Antibiotic stewardship: Improving patient-centered right care in urgent care using a shared decision aid and 5 Ds tool.

Overuse of antibiotics leads to antibiotic resistance, costing $35 billion and causing approximately 23,000 deaths in the United States annually. Antibiotic stewardship is important in urgent care centers to prevent antibiotic resistance. Providers prescribed antibiotics to 80% of patients with viral conditions at this urgent care center. The aim of this quality improvement (QI) project was to improve right care for patients of 65 years and younger with upper respiratory infections and/or head, ears, nose, or throat viral illnesses presenting to urgent care from 36.2% to 80% within 90 days. Four rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles were performed every two weeks. Four concurrent focus areas were used for team and patient engagement, antibiotic prescribing, and tracking right care. There were four core interventions. These included biweekly team meetings, a shared decision aid (SDA), an antibiotic prescribing 5 Ds tool, and a case management log. Use of the SDA improved patient engagement from 33% to 93%. The 5 Ds tool improved proper prescribing from 20% to 95%. Pediatric acute otitis media had the greatest improvement, with the proper diagnosis and the use of watchful waiting, delaying the filling of an antibiotic prescription. Antibiotic stewardship and standardization of prescribing were improved in urgent care with the use of the 5 Ds tool. This QI project can be replicated for use in urgent care centers for compliance with the Joint Commission standards required.

Our experience on the management of acute mastoiditis in pediatric acute otitis media patients

ObjectiveThe incidence of complications due to acute otitis media (AOM) in childhood has decreased significantly with the use of new antibiotics in recent years. However, acute mastoiditis (AM) is still the most common complication that can lead to further intracranial conditions with high morbidity. Our study aimed to evaluate the clinical characteristics of children with AM and identify possible indicators for further intracranial complications associated with this condition. MethodsChildren hospitalized in our clinic with a diagnosis of AM were reviewed. Demographic data, disease-related symptoms, types of complications accompanied by AM, medical/surgical treatments modalities, and culture results were screened. The patients were divided into two groups as those with and without intracranial complications (ICCs). Routine complete blood count tests, biochemical analysis, and C-reactive protein (CRP) level measurement were evaluated and compared between the groups. ResultsOf the 28 AM patients, five (17.9%) had isolated AM. Complications associated with AM included sub-periosteal abscess (28.6%), facial paralysis (25%), meningitis (17.9%), meningitis with sigmoid sinus thrombosis (7.1%), and meningitis with cerebellar abscess (3.6%). Eight patients developed ICCs (28.6%), of whom three had more than one complication. Ceftriaxone was found to be the first-line medical treatment (57.1%). Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most common pathogen isolated from the cultures (42.9%). Three patients (10.7%) were treated non-surgically, eight (28.6%) with myringotomy and ventilation tube (VT) insertion, eight patients (28.6%) with abscess drainage and VT insertion, and nine (32.1%) with cortical mastoidectomy and VT insertion. There was no significant difference between the patients with and without ICCs in terms of complete blood count parameters. The CRP level and the CRP-albumin ratio were significantly higher in patients with ICCs than those without these complications (p < 0.001). ConclusionAM remains to be the most common complication of AOM in childhood and can lead to further life-threatening conditions. Additional interventions according to the type of the complication with VT insertion is safe and effective in the management of AM. In patients with AM, it is of great importance to determine whether there is an accompanying ICC. The CRP-albumin ratio is a simple and reliable calculation to detect ICCs in patients with AM.

Features predicting treatment failure in pediatric acute otitis media

ObjectivesTo facilitate better antibiotic stewardship, we conducted this clinical trial to identify the prognostic features of treatment failure in pediatric acute otitis media (AOM). StudyDesign: This is a randomized, parallel-group, open-label, comparative clinical trial. Subjects and MethodsChildren with AOM and aged between 1 month and 5 years were enrolled. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either amoxicillin alone (70 mg/kg) for five days, or the same with additional clarithromycin (15 mg/kg) for the initial three days. The clinical course of AOM was evaluated based on tympanic membrane scores. Failure of treatment for AOM was confirmed on day 14. Nasal conditions were also assessed by a clinical scoring system for acute rhinosinusitis. ResultsTreatment failures occurred in 25 out of 129 (19.4%) children. The ratio of treatment failures by age was significantly higher in children younger than 2 years than in children older than 2 years. The tympanic membrane scores on day 3 (P = 0.0334) and day 5 (P < 0.0001) and acute rhinosinusitis scores on day 5 (P = 0.0004) were higher in failure cases than in cured cases. Multivariate logistic regression analysis indicated significant associations between the treatment failure with tympanic membrane scores and acute rhinosinusitis scores on day 5, and the antimicrobial treatment regimen. ConclusionsImprovement of acute rhinosinusitis and tympanic membrane scores on day five were important predictive features in failure of treatment for pediatric AOM. These results will be useful when discussing the treatment decisions with the patient's parents.

A bench-top model of middle ear effusion diagnosed with optical tympanometry

ObjectivesTo assess the validity of a bench-top model of an optical tympanometry device to diagnose in vitro model of middle ear effusion (MEE). Methods and materialsWe illuminated an in vitro model of ear canal and tympanic membrane with broadband light and relayed remitted light to a spectrometer system. We then used our proprietary algorithm to extract spectral features that, together with our logistic regression classifiers, led us to calculate a set of simplified indices related to different middle ear states. Our model included a glass vial covered with a porcine submucosa (representing the tympanic membrane) and filled with air, water, or milk solution (representing different MEE), and a set of cover-glass slips filled with either blood (representing erythema) or cerumen. By interchanging fluid types and cover-glass slips, we made measurements on combinations corresponding to normal healthy ear and purulent or serous MEE. ResultsEach simulated condition had a distinct spectral profile, which was then employed by our algorithm to discriminate clean and cerumen-covered purulent and serous MEE. Two logistic purulent and serous MEE classifiers correctly classified all in vitro middle ear states with 100% accuracy assessed by leave-one-out and k-fold cross validation. ConclusionsThis proof-of-concept in vitro study addressed an unmet need by introducing a device that easily and accurately can assess middle ear effusion. Future in vivo studies aimed at collecting data from clinical settings are warranted to further elucidate the validity of the technology in diagnosing pediatric acute otitis media.

Pneumococcal serotype 19A is the major cause of pediatric acute otitis media with ruptured tympanic membrane in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5 years after the introduction of the ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

IntroductionIn Ethiopia, there is a lack of data on pneumococcal serotypes causing acute otitis media (AOM) in children. We aimed to study the etiology, pneumococcal serotypes and antimicrobial resistance patterns of isolates from children with AOM with spontaneous perforation of the tympanic membrane (SPTM). MethodsWe carried out a prospective observational study in children with AOM with SPTM, aged 0–15 years in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Middle ear fluid was collected using sterile swabs, cultured and antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed. Serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae were determined by sequencing the cpsB gene and by the Quellung reaction. ResultsA total of 55 children were enrolled. Out of 55 samples that were cultured, 52 (94.5%) were culture positive for a total of 66 bacterial species, and 56.4% (31/55) samples were positive for 41 (62.1%) known pathogenic bacterial species. The most common pathogenic bacterial isolates were S. pneumoniae (36.6%), Staphylococcus aureus (19.5%), Streptococcus pyogenes (14.6%) and Haemophilus influenzae (12.2%). Serotype 19A (73.3%) was the predominant pneumococcal serotype. There was a high rate of non-susceptibility to penicillin (86.6%) and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole (80%) among pneumococcal isolates. Out of 21 different isolates tested for amoxicillin susceptibility, 15 (71.4%) were resistant. ConclusionsPneumococcal serotype 19A was the predominant cause of AOM with SPTM in children in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 5 years after introduction of PCV10. There was a high rate of resistance to commonly prescribed antibiotics. The study highlights the need for wide scale surveillance of the etiology and antimicrobial susceptibility of AOM in Ethiopian children.

A systematic review and meta-analysis of antimicrobial resistance in paediatric acute otitis media

Objective of reviewAcute otitis media (AOM) is the largest cause of antimicrobial prescriptions amongst children in developed countries. Excessive and inappropriate prescribing is known to drive antimicrobial resistance, but less is known of antimicrobial resistance in AOM-associated bacteria. Type of review & search strategyWe conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of bacterial prevalence and antimicrobial resistance in studies of paediatric AOM identified from Ovid Medline, Embase and the Cochrane library. ResultsFrom 48 unique studies, 15,871 samples were included. Only 0.67 (CI 0.63–0.71) of all ear samples grew a bacterial pathogen. The most common bacterial causes of AOM in children were Streptococcus pneumoniae 0.30 (CI 0.27–0.32), Haemophilus influenza 0.23 (CI 0.20–0.26), and Moraxella catarrhalis 0.05 (CI 0.04–0.06). Resistance patterns varied amongst organisms and antimicrobial agents. The pooled proportion of bacterial culture-positive episodes of AOM that could be effectively treated with amoxicillin was 0.85 (CI 0.76–0.94), erythromycin was 0.64 (0.48–0.78) and amoxicillin-clavulanate was 0.95 (CI 0.85–0.98). ConclusionWe have demonstrated the bacteriology and antimicrobial resistance patterns of AOM. Of samples which grew bacteria, on average approximately 15% of isolates demonstrated resistance to amoxicillin; a typical first-line agent. Greater understanding of local bacteriology and resistance patterns is needed to enable improved antimicrobial stewardship.

Barriers to Current Guidelines in the Management of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media

Barriers to Current Guidelines in the Management of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media

Adherence to Egyptian pediatric acute otitis media guideline in Egypt

Objective The aim of this study was to assess the adherence of different specialties (family physicians, pediatricians, and otolaryngologists) to Egyptian clinical practice guideline dealing with pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) in Egypt. Background Egyptian clinical practice guideline for AOM has been promoted as a strategy to measure and improve the quality of patient care. However, more efforts have been expended on creating guidelines than implementing them. Patients and methods It was a cross-sectional descriptive study. Participants from different specialties, such as family physicians, pediatricians, and otolaryngologists were selected by systematic random techniques from the list of participants in the conferences. A self-administered questionnaire with 26 items that covered all the aspects of management of Egyptian clinical practice guideline for AOM was distributed to the participants to assess their adherence to the Egyptian guideline of AOM. Results Poor adherence to the Egyptian guideline of AOM was detected in all specialties without significant differences (92.5% of family physicians, 100% of otolaryngologists, and 100% of pediatricians). A physician's age, sex, scientific degree, and experience did not significantly affect the adherence. Conclusion Poor adherence of different specialties to the Egyptian guideline of AOM in Egypt was observed. Resolving this challenge will require comprehensive policy appraisal and harmonized actions at different AOM health care providers. Mere dissemination of evidence and promotion of guidelines will not help.

Diagnostic Accuracy, Prescription Behavior, and Watchful Waiting Efficacy for Pediatric Acute Otitis Media.

Current guidelines recommend "watchful waiting" (WW) as an alternative to immediate antibiotic treatment. Continued high rates of antibiotic use suggest that WW may be underutilized. We conducted a retrospective chart review of 474 pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) cases at a clinic in central Pennsylvania. We assessed physical examination findings, diagnostic behavior, WW utilization, prescription writing, and filling in cases of pediatric AOM to evaluate the underutilization of WW. We evaluate diagnostic consistency with published guidelines and rates of antibiotic prescription resulting from misdiagnosis. We report WW instructions and compliance, and prescription filling behaviors. Fifty percent of AOM diagnoses in this sample were not supported by physical examination findings. The majority of these AOM diagnoses received antibiotic prescriptions, suggesting that unsupported diagnoses translated to injudicious prescribing. WW instructions corresponded to 57% fewer filled prescriptions and longer fill delay. We discuss the implications and recommendations to improve antibiotic stewardship.

Inadequate harms reporting in randomized control trials of antibiotics for pediatric acute otitis media: a systematic review.

Reporting of harms in randomized control trials is often inconsistent and inadequate. To assess the quality of harms reporting in randomized control trials evaluating the efficacy of antibiotics used to treat pediatric acute otitis media and to investigate whether connections to pharmaceutical companies or the publication of the CONSORT-Harms extension influenced the quality of harms reporting. We considered randomized control trials that evaluated the efficacy and safety of antibiotic treatment for uncomplicated acute otitis media in children aged 0-19. We evaluated the quality of harms reporting using a 19-item checklist addressing the recommendations endorsed in the CONSORT-Harms extension. 160 studies met our inclusion criteria. Overall quality of reporting relating to harms was low; on average studies adhered to 55.2% of the checklist items on the quality of harms reporting. The reporting of methods relating the measurement of harms was particularly lacking; studies adhered to an average of only 33.2% of the checklist items. The overall quality of reporting did not change after the publication of the CONSORT-Harms extension. The overall quality of reporting did not differ significantly in reports with or without declared connections to pharmaceutical companies (mean quality score of 56.8% vs 52.0%, respectively). Harms reporting in pediatric randomized trials, especially the reporting of methods used to collect harms data, remains inadequate.

Understanding Parents' Experiences and Information Needs on Pediatric Acute Otitis Media: A Qualitative Study.

Background:Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most common pediatric bacterial ear infection, affecting up to 75% of children younger than 5 years. Despite the high incidence of AOM in children, the condition presents a number of challenges to parents. The objectives of this study were to describe parents’ experiences of taking care of a child with AOM and to identify their information needs to manage their child with AOM.Methods:A qualitative, descriptive design was used to gain insight into information needs of parents’ of children with AOM. Participants were recruited from a specialized pediatric emergency department in a major Canadian urban center (Edmonton, Alberta). Individual semi structured interviews were conducted with 16 parents.Results:Seven major themes were identified and described: (1) frequency of AOM, (2) symptoms of AOM experienced by children and parents, (3) AOM symptom management strategies used by parents, (4) parent’s beliefs about AOM, (5) parent’s satisfaction with treatment prescribed by physicians, (6) the effect of AOM on family’s quality of life, and (7) parent’s information needs about AOM. Findings indicate that AOM has considerable negative outcomes for both children and families and that parents would benefit from having more evidence-based resources.Conclusions:This study provides important information around parents’ experiences and information needs for pediatric AOM. Identifying parents’ information needs and developing innovative and communicatively responsive educational approaches for parents are warranted that reflect patient-centered nursing care.

Reducing unwarranted antibiotic use for pediatric acute otitis media: the influence of physicians' explanation and instruction on parent compliance with ‘watchful waiting’

ABSTRACT‘Watchful waiting’ (WW) involves prescribing antibiotics but advising against use unless the illness fails to improve in a set time. For childhood ear infections, WW can reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, but parents do not necessarily comply with WW advice. This study examines how physician explanation and instruction is related to parental compliance. A national sample of parents (N = 134) who received WW advice reported what they remembered physicians saying. These responses were coded for explanatory and instructional elements indicated by relevant clinical guidelines. Parents also reported whether they complied with the WW advice or administered the antibiotic immediately. Parental compliance was predicted by explanation of the nature of ear infections, instruction on monitoring, and instruction on managing pain. Few parents reported any explanation about antibiotics’ adverse effects. Findings suggest physicians can improve parent compliance with WW by improving the quality of the explanation and instruction they provide.

Pediatric Acute Otitis Media in the Era of Pneumococcal Vaccination.

Objectives (1) Describe longitudinal trends in annual prevalence of hospital admission for pediatric acute otitis media (AOM) and complications of AOM (CAOM) since introduction of pneumococcal vaccination in 2000 and (2) describe the longitudinal trend of prevalence of hospital admission for pneumococcal meningitis in children with AOM-related diagnoses in the postvaccination era. Study Design Retrospective analysis of Kids' Inpatient Database from 2000 to 2012. Setting Community, nonrehabilitation hospitals. Subjects and Methods To determine annual prevalence of admission for AOM/CAOM, nationally weighted frequencies of children aged <21 years with acute suppurative otitis media, acute mastoiditis, suppurative labyrinthitis, and/or acute petrositis were collected. The frequency of coexisting pneumococcal meningitis diagnoses among these patients was also collected. Trend analysis of prevalences of admission for AOM/CAOM and for pneumococcal meningitis occurring in the setting of AOM/CAOM from 2000 to 2012 was performed. Results Between 2000 and 2012, annual prevalence of admission for AOM/CAOM decreased from 3.956 to 2.618 per 100,000 persons ( P < .0001) (relative risk reduction 34%). Declines in admission prevalence were most pronounced in children <1 year of age (from 22.647 to 8.715 per 100,000 persons between 2000 and 2012, P < .0001) and 1 to 2 years of age (from 13.652 to 5.554 per 100,000 persons between 2000 and 2012, P < .0001). For all ages, the admission prevalence for pneumococcal meningitis and concomitant AOM/CAOM decreased (from 1.760 to 0.717 per 1,000,000 persons, P < .0001) over the study period. Conclusions The prevalence of hospital admission for pediatric AOM/CAOM has declined since the advent of pneumococcal vaccination. Admission rates for pneumococcal meningitis with AOM/CAOM have similarly declined.

Comparison of Efficacy and Safety of Cefpodoxime and Amoxicillin-Clavulanate Potassium in Paediatric Acute Otitis Media in Children below Two Years: A Prospective Longitudinal Study.

Acute Otitis Media (AOM) is one of the frequently diagnosed diseases in children below two years. Amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium is the first line drug in treatment of Paediatric AOM (PAOM). Cefpodoxime has good antimicrobial activity against various types of microorganisms that include causative microorganisms of PAOM. To compare the efficacy and safety of cefpodoxime and amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium for the treatment of PAOM in children below two years. A prospective longitudinal study was conducted on children diagnosed with PAOM. Thirty-six children were included in the study: 17 in the Group A (amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium) and 19 in the Group B (cefpodoxime). Primary outcome of this study was clinical success rate at day 10 visit and secondary outcome was incidence of Adverse Events (AEs). The clinical success rates were 93.8% in Group A and 88.2 % in Group B. These rates are comparable and no statistically significant difference was observed between the groups. Few mild and self-limiting AEs were observed and both the drugs were well tolerated. The results of this prospective study showed that a 10-day course of cefpodoxime is therapeutically comparable to amoxicillin-clavulanate potassium in terms of both efficacy and safety for the treatment of PAOM in children below two years.

Annual Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens from Pediatric Acute Otitis Media: 2011–2015

Annual Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistant Pathogens from Pediatric Acute Otitis Media: 2011–2015

Impact of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media on Child and Parental Quality of Life and Associated Productivity Loss in Malaysia: A Prospective Observational Study.

BackgroundAcute otitis media (AOM) affects both child and parental quality of life (QoL). Data on QoL associated with AOM in Malaysia is sparse, and the burden of indirect costs have not been previously reported.ObjectiveTo determine the effect of pediatric AOM on child and parental QoL in Malaysia and its economic impact (indirect costs).MethodsWe utilized a set of QoL questionnaires (PAR-AOM-QOL, OM-6, and EQ-5D) combined with questions addressing work/productivity loss and financial costs associated with caring for a child during his or her illness in an observational, multicenter, prospective study.ResultsOne hundred and ten AOM patients aged ≤5 years were included in the analysis. The majority of respondents were the patient’s mother. Parental QoL was negatively affected for both emotional and daily disturbance scales, but the level of disturbance was low. Using OM-6, the greatest negative impact was on the child’s QoL, followed by caregiver concerns, physical suffering, and emotional distress. Using EQ-5D, a moderately positive relationship between parents’ emotional disturbance and daily disturbance, and a weak, negative correlation between parental emotional disturbance and parental health status was found. Parents with paid employment took an average of 21 h from work to care for their child, at an average cost of 321.8 Malaysian ringgit (US$97) in addition to their contribution to direct medical costs. Productivity losses whilst at work, uncompensated wage losses, and leisure time losses are also reported.ConclusionsThis study found that AOM is associated with some negative impact on parental QoL and significant economic impact at both patient and societal levels. The findings provide useful data on healthcare resource utilization and disease burden of AOM in Malaysia.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s40801-016-0099-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Detection of respiratory pathogens in pediatric acute otitis media by PCR and comparison of findings in the middle ear and nasopharynx

We conducted a series of polymerase chain reactions (PCRs) in order to detect bacteria (7 species) and viruses (17 species) in middle ear fluid (MEF) and nasopharynx (Nph) of children with acute otitis media (AOM; n=179). Bacterial and viral nucleic acids were detected in MEF of 78.8% and 14.5% patients, respectively. The prevalence was as follows: Streptococcus pneumoniae, 70.4%; Haemophilus influenzae, 17.9%; Staphylococcus aureus, 16.8%; Streptococcus pyogenes, 12.3%; Moraxella catarrhalis, 9.5%; rhinovirus, 9.5%; and adenovirus, 3.4%. The overall rate of PCR-positive specimens for bacterial pathogens was 2.6 times higher, compared to culture results. The rate of PCR-positive results and the distribution of pathogens in the Nph were similar to those in the MEF. Nph PCR results had variable positive predictive values and high negative predictive values in predicting MEF findings. Our results indicate that Nph PCR could be a practical tool for examining respiratory pathogens in children with acute infections.

Cost and Utilization of Retail Clinics vs. Other Providers for Treatment of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media.

A common acute condition seen by providers in retails clinics is the evaluation and treatment of acute otitis media (AOM) in children younger than age 20. Annual direct treatment costs for AOM were US $5.3 billion in 1998 dollars. Based on the experience of a large retail pharmacy employer, the authors compared AOM episodes in covered dependents younger than age 20 in retail clinic states to those in states without retail clinic access. Relative costs as well as frequency of visits and antibiotic prescriptions were analyzed for both retail clinic-based, and non-retail clinic-based episodes. Rates of AOM episodes were lower in retail clinic than in non-retail clinic states (62.5 vs. 76.9 per 1000 members per year; P < .0001). The average number of visits per episode was similar between retail clinic and non-retail clinic states (1.417 vs. 1.430, respectively; P = 0.657), suggesting that retail clinics do not result in an increase in overall utilization. On a risk-adjusted basis, retail clinic episodes cost approximately $30-$130 less than community episodes, depending on year. In retail clinic states, the antibiotic prescription fill rate was 95.4% for retail clinic episodes and 82.8% for community episodes, consistent with rates in the literature. This study confirms results of earlier studies that retail clinics are a less costly setting than the community for the treatment of episodes of otitis media There also is little evidence that retail clinics lead to duplication of services (patients receiving follow-up care in other settings).

Annual Surveillance of Drug-Resistant Pathogenic Bacterias in Case of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media

Annual Surveillance of Drug-Resistant Pathogenic Bacterias in Case of Pediatric Acute Otitis Media

Parental acceptability of the watchful waiting approach in pediatric acute otitis media.

To determine parental knowledge about acute otitis media (AOM) and its antibiotic therapy, antibiotic resistance and the willingness to comply with the watchful waiting (WW) approach in primary care settings in southern Israel. The study was conducted in 3 primary care clinics and the pediatric emergency room of Soroka University Medical Center. Questionnaires (20 questions on education background, previous AOM experience, knowledge on antimicrobial resistance and attitude vs the WW approach) were filled by 600 parents (150 at each centers) of children < 6 years of age. Mothers represented 69% of parents; 2% had an education of < 10 school years, 46% had high-school education and 17% had an academic degree. 69% parents reported previous experience with AOM and 56% thought that antibiotics represent the only treatment for AOM. Knowledge on bacterial resistance to antibiotics was reported by 57% of the parents; 86% parents were willing to accept/probably accept the WW approach for their children. Logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between parental education and knowledge about bacterial resistance to antibiotics and that previous experience with AOM was significantly associated with reluctance to accept the WW approach. More parents with knowledge on bacterial resistance were willing to accept the WW approach compared with parents without such knowledge. No correlation was found between the education level and willingness to accept the WW approach. A significant correlation was found between previous parental education and experience with AOM and the knowledge about antibiotic use, bacterial resistance and acceptance of the WW approach.