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Update on otitis media. Part 2. Treatment
R Sagraves1, W Maish, A Kameshka
1College of Pharmacy, University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City.
Abstract:
Currently the treatment of choice for OM is an oral antimicrobial agent, but selecting a specific agent should include consideration of efficacy, adverse effect profile, compliance, and cost. The use of adjunctive medications like decongestants for specific subtypes of OM has been debated in the literature, but efficacy has not been proven. As knowledge about the pathogenesis of OM is further refined, new treatment modalities for OM will be introduced. Because pharmacists are involved daily with pediatric patients who experience OM, they have an important role in making sure that patients receive appropriate therapy. A patient's profile should be checked for allergies and concurrent medications when a prescription for an antimicrobial agent is presented for a child with OM. The parents should be counseled about the administration, storage, and general product use as well as potential adverse effects, duration of use, and the need for compliance. An administration device for drug delivery like an oral syringe should be provided. Parents need advice from the pharmacist in making sure their children receive the best possible pharmaceutical care.
Insights
Pharmacists play a crucial role in managing otitis media (OM) by ensuring appropriate oral antimicrobial therapy. They counsel parents on medication use, potential side effects, and compliance for optimal pediatric pharmaceutical care.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Pharmacology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Otitis media (OM) is commonly treated with oral antimicrobial agents.
- Adjunctive therapies for OM have shown unproven efficacy.
- Advances in understanding OM pathogenesis may lead to new treatments.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the pharmacist's role in optimizing antimicrobial therapy for otitis media.
- To emphasize the importance of individualized patient assessment and counseling.
- To underscore the need for pharmacist involvement in pediatric pharmaceutical care for OM.
Main Methods:
- Review of current treatment guidelines and literature for otitis media.
- Emphasis on pharmacist's responsibilities in medication selection and patient counseling.
- Discussion of key factors in antimicrobial agent selection: efficacy, adverse effects, compliance, and cost.
Main Results:
- Pharmacists are essential in ensuring appropriate antimicrobial selection for OM.
- Comprehensive patient profile review (allergies, concurrent medications) is critical.
- Effective parent counseling on administration, storage, adverse effects, and compliance is vital.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacists are integral to providing optimal pharmaceutical care for pediatric OM.
- Thorough patient assessment and counseling enhance treatment outcomes.
- Continued research into OM pathogenesis may yield novel therapeutic strategies.