Description of episodes, health services use, and medications for AOM, by age
| CHARACTERISTICS | AGE | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 TO 36 MO,* N (%) (N = 43) | 3 TO 4 Y,* N (%) (N = 93) | ALL AGES,†N (%) (N = 161) | |
| Duration, d | |||
| • ≤ 3 | 14 (33) | 30 (32) | 52 (32) |
| • 4 to 6 | 13 (30) | 32 (34) | 55 (34) |
| • ≥ 7 | 15 (35) | 29 (31) | 51 (32) |
| • Unknown | 1 (2) | 2 (2) | 3 (2) |
| Symptoms reported | |||
| • Ear pain | 32 (74)‡ | 82 (88)‡ | 139 (86) |
| • Fever | 34 (79) | 76 (82) | 130 (81) |
| • Otorrhoea or ruptured tympanic membrane | 4 (9)‡ | 28 (30)‡ | 38 (24) |
| • Vertigo | 5 (12) | 13 (14) | 23 (14) |
| • Hearing loss | 2 (5)‡ | 23 (25)‡ | 31 (19) |
| Health services use | |||
| • Call to help line§ | 7 (16) | 8 (9) | 18 (11) |
| • Visit to physician | 43 (100)‡ | 83 (89)‡ | 151 (94) |
| • Private clinic or community health centre | 32 (74) | 68 (73) | 122 (76) |
| • Emergency room | 11 (26) | 15 (16) | 29 (18) |
| No. of medications taken | |||
| • 1 | 12 (28)‡ | 10 (11)‡ | 26 (16) |
| • 2 | 25 (58)‡ | 57 (61)‡ | 97 (60) |
| • ≥ 3 | 6 (14)‡ | 26 (28)‡ | 38 (24) |
| Type of medications taken | |||
| • Antibiotics | 41 (95) | 84 (90) | 149 (93) |
| • Antipyretics or analgesics | 31 (72) | 79 (85) | 129 (80) |
| • Ear drops | 5 (12)‡ | 26 (28)‡ | 37 (23) |
| • Natural products | 3 (7) | 9 (10) | 14 (9) |
↵* Responses were compared between the 2 age groups using χ2 or Fisher exact tests.
↵† Included in this group are 25 children aged 6 months to 5 years with their exact ages unknown (not included in previous 2 groups).
↵‡ Differences between the 2 age groups are statistically significant (P ≤ .05).
↵§ Some caregivers who used help lines also sought care from physicians.