title: A simple scoring system to improve clinical assessment of acute otitis media.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate an easy to use 10-point scoring system in clinical assessment of acute otitis media (AOM). Study design. Symptoms of AOM observed by validated otoscopists were tabulated and scored with a 10-point and a 30-point system at acute onset of illness and at the test-of-cure (TOC) 3 weeks later.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 330 children (mean age = 13.1 months) with AOM were studied. At AOM onset, the mean 10-point and 30-point scores; were highly correlated (P < .001). At TOC, 256 children were cured, 69 failed, and 5 were lost to follow-up. The 10-point scores were 0.5 and 4.4 for children with cure and failure. The 10-point score had a sensitivity of 87%, specificity of 98%, positive predictive value of 91%, and negative predictive value of 97% compared with the diagnosis by validated otoscopists.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A simple, easy-to-use 10-point AOM scoring system was shown to discriminate AOM cure and failure at TOC.
authors.affiliation: Legacy Pediatrics, Rochester, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Janet R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Casey
authors.forename: Stan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Block
authors.forename: Pamela
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Puthoor
authors.forename: Jim
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hedrick
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Almudevar
authors.forename: Michael E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Pichichero
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents