Fluid In The Ear Does Not Impair Development

Early insertion of ear tubes in otherwise healthy infants and young children with persistent fluid in the middle ear does not improve developmental outcomes up to 9 to 11 years of age, according to results of an important study at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC led by otitis media researcher Jack Paradise, MD.
These findings [...]

Antibiotic Ear Drops Favored For Ear Infections

A multicenter study on treating common ear infections in children with ear tubes adds to a growing body of evidence that favors antibiotic ear drops over antibiotics swallowed in pill or liquid form in such cases, a UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher reports.
The latest study, involving 80 children, showed that antibiotic ear drops performed better [...]

Flu Help Is On The Way

Queensland has been gripped by one of the worst flu seasons in years, leaving many patients with secondary bacterial infections.
Despite, the Australian Medical Association urging people to be vaccinated against the flu every year, many don’t take heed. And if luck doesn’t prevail and an infection develops antibiotics become the treatment of choice.
However, behind the [...]

Viral Protein Is An Effective Preventative Against Ear Infection

For parents, 8 million cases of acute middle ear infections every year add up to a lot of sleepless nights and trips to the pediatrician. But new research from a collaboration between Rockefeller University and St. Jude Children’s Hospital could change all that.
In PLoS Pathogens, Rockefeller’s Vincent A. Fischetti and colleagues at St. Jude show [...]

For Most Children With Middle Ear Infection Observation is Appropriate

According to an Article in this week’s issue of The Lancet, antibiotics for middle ear infection (otitis media) are only beneficial in children under the age of two with both ears infected. For most other children an observation policy seems justified finds the study.
Otitis media occurs when the middle ear, behind the eardrum, becomes inflamed. [...]

“Wait-And-See” Approach For Treating Ear Infections Substantially Reduces Use Of Antibiotics

For children with acute ear infections seen in an emergency department, giving parents the option of delaying use of antibiotics resulted in significantly lower use of antibiotics compared to parents who received a standard prescription, with little difference in the outcomes for the children, according to a study in the September 13 issue of JAMA.
Acute [...]

Cartilage Shield Shown To Help Restore Hearing

Inserting a “shield” of cartilage into the inner ear is a less invasive and more cost-effective alternative to membrane reconstruction when treating hearing loss in selected patients suffering from chronic middle ear infections (otitis media), according to a new study published in the June 2007 edition of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery.
The study’s authors determined [...]

Up-To-Date Vaccinations May Help Your Child Stay In School

The beginning of the school year is the perfect time to make sure your child has his or her most recent immunization, especially vaccinations that can help prevent meningitis and middle ear infections (otitis media).
Childhood vaccination can stem millions of illnesses and prevent thousands of deaths. While eight out of every ten children in the [...]

Research To Speed Up Cure For Ear Infections

Fast tracking the healing process for common ear infections will be the focus of ground-breaking research by WA’s Lions Ear and Hearing Institute (LEHI).
The research will aim to understand why some eardrums heal by themselves (and why some do not heal at all) by identifying which genes are responsible for the wound-healing process of an [...]

Earache should not be treated with antibiotics

Soon some expects will be telling doctors not to treat ear infections with antibiotics.
This goes against years of medical practice. 50% of antibiotic prescriptions for pre-school kids are for ear infections.
Officials say that reducing the number of antibiotics in these cases will stop the increase in antibiotic-resistant germs.
Dr. Richard Besser, of the meningitis and special [...]