title: Earache.
abstract: Earache, a common emergency department presentation, may be caused by a variety of conditions, some distant from the ear. This article discusses the diagnosis and treatment of acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, otitis externa, otitis media with ruptured tympanic membrane or tympanostomy tubes, malignant otitis externa, mastoiditis and petrositis, traumatic ruptured tympanic membrane, cerumen impactions, and foreign bodies in the ears.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Suite 10028, Forbes Tower, PA 15260, USA. kconover@pitt.edu
authors.forename: Keith
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Conover
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007758:Ear, Inner; D004433:Earache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D004630:Emergencies; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005547:Foreign Bodies / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents