title: Reaction toward a new treatment paradigm for acute otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent evidence suggests that oral antibiotics may not be required in all children with acute otitis media (AOM). We determined whether parents and pediatricians were aware of and comfortable with a policy of selective use of antibiotics for AOM.
  
  
  METHODS
  
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Suburban academic emergency department, urgent care center, and private pediatric practices.
  
  
  METHODS
  Parents of children presenting to an emergency department and urgent care center and pediatricians in faculty and private practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Parents were asked whether they were aware of any side effects associated with antibiotic use or of research that supports selective use of antibiotics for AOM. Physicians were queried regarding the methods used to diagnose AOM and their patterns of prescribing antibiotics for AOM. Parents and physicians were questioned regarding their comfort with withholding antibiotics for AOM using a 6-point Likert scale ranging from very uncomfortable to very comfortable.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six hundred fifty-four parents and 84 physicians were surveyed. Sixty-one percent of parents were unaware of the potential side effects of antibiotics, and 72% were unaware of research supporting selective use of antibiotics. Fifty-three percent of parents and 73% of physicians were somewhat comfortable to very comfortable with an observation option for AOM. Half of all pediatricians stated that they always prescribe antibiotic for AOM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although most parents are unaware of selective use of antibiotics and half of all surveyed pediatricians stated that they always prescribed antibiotics for AOM, many parents and pediatricians felt comfortable with selective use of antibiotics.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, USA. tomfxf@aol.com
authors.forename: Thomas F X
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Adam J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gulla
authors.forename: Greg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garra
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rosenfeld
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D002648:Child; D003625:Data Collection; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010290:Parents; D010820:Physicians; D011446:Prospective Studies