[The practice guideline 'Otitis externa' (first revision) from the Dutch College of General Practitioners; a response from the perspective of otorhinolaryngology].
The first revision of the practice guideline 'Otitis externa' from the Dutch College of General Practitioners describes diagnostic, therapeutic and preventive aspects of care and focuses mainly on the acute form of the disease. In comparison with the previous guideline, some modest but valuable improvements have been made with regard to diagnosis and medical treatment. For acute otitis externa, treatment with acid and corticosteroid eardrops is considered the treatment of choice, rather than treatment with acid eardrops only. The guideline clearly discusses indications for referral of patients with otitis externa to an otorhinolaryngologist. Hypersensitivity and more severe pathology should be excluded in persistent cases. For chronic otitis externa, an otorhinolaryngologist can provide surgical treatment with a good chance of success and a low recurrence rate.
Mylanus
E A M
EA
Universitair Medisch Centrum StRadboud, afd. Keel-, Neus- en Oorheelkunde, Postbus 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen. e.mylanus@kno.umcn.nl
D000208:Acute Disease; D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D009426:Netherlands; D010032:Otitis Externa / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000601:surgery; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000592:standards*; D010821:Physicians, Family / Q000592:standards; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012017:Referral and Consultation
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones