One hundred earaches. Family practice case series.

Area of Science:

• Primary Care Medicine
• Infectious Diseases
• Otolaryngology

Background:

• Earache is a common ailment presenting in primary care.
• Antibiotic prescribing for earache is frequent, despite varying etiological factors.
• The need for antibiotics in non-severe earache requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of watchful waiting for patients with earache.
• To determine if watchful waiting is appropriate when antibiotics are not immediately indicated.
• To assess antibiotic prescription rates in a primary care setting for earache.

Main Methods:

• A case series design was employed, including consecutive patients presenting with unilateral earache.
• The study involved 100 patients in a rural family practice and walk-in clinic setting.
• Patients received antibiotics only if clearly indicated; others were managed with symptom relief advice and follow-up.

Main Results:

• Only two patients received antibiotics at the initial visit.
• Out of 98 patients not initially prescribed antibiotics, only four returned due to earache.
• Ultimately, only four out of 100 patients with earache received antibiotic prescriptions.

Conclusions:

• The majority of earache cases in primary care are self-limiting and do not necessitate immediate antibiotic treatment.
• Watchful waiting is a viable strategy for managing earache when antibiotics are not clearly indicated.
• Education for both physicians and patients regarding conservative management of earache is recommended.