Paeds Cases · ent-hearing-and-oral-health
Explain acute otitis media and a safety-net plan to a parent — OSCE
OSCE communication and shared-management station: explaining acute otitis media to a parent, why antibiotics are not always needed, what to give for pain, what to watch for at home, and when to return urgently.
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You are the paediatric registrar. A 14-month-old boy has non-severe unilateral acute otitis media confirmed on otoscopy. He is well, feeding, alert, and his parents are reliable. You have decided on a watchful-waiting (safety-net) approach with analgesia and no immediate antibiotic. His mother has ten minutes with you before going home. She wants to understand, in plain language: (1) what an ear infection is; (2) why he is not getting antibiotics when her older child always did; (3) what to give for his pain; and (4) exactly what to watch for and when to come back. Explain with empathy, check understanding, and agree a clear plan. [1]
References4ShowHide
- [1]Lieberthal AS, et al. The diagnosis and management of acute otitis media. Pediatrics, 2013.PMID 23439909
- [2]Schilder AG, et al. Otitis media. Nat Rev Dis Primers, 2016.PMID 27604644
- [3]Venekamp RP, et al. Antibiotics for acute otitis media in children. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2015.PMID 26099233
- [4]Foxlee R, et al. Topical analgesia for acute otitis media. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2006.PMID 16856108