RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 One hundred earaches. Family practice case series.
JF Canadian Family Physician
JO Can Fam Physician
FD The College of Family Physicians of Canada
SP 1081
OP 1084
VO 46
IS 5
A1 G Worrall
YR 2000
UL http://www.cfp.ca/content/46/5/1081.abstract
AB OBJECTIVE To examine whether watchful waiting was an appropriate strategy for patients with earache, when there was no clear indication to prescribe antibiotics at the first visit. DESIGN Case series of consecutive patients with unilateral earache. SETTING Rural family practice clinic and walk-in centre. PARTICIPANTS One hundred patients with unilateral earache. INTERVENTIONS Patients who clearly needed antibiotic treatment were given it; others were advised about symptom relief and were followed up as necessary. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Whether patients returned to the clinic, and whether antibiotics were subsequently prescribed. RESULTS Two patients were prescribed antibiotics at the first visit. Of the remaining 98 people, only four returned to the clinic because of earache, and two of these were prescribed antibiotics. Thus, of 100 people with earache, four received antibiotic prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS Most people who present to primary care physicians with earache do not need antibiotics for what appears to be a mostly self-limiting condition. Both physicians and patients should be educated about this.