title: Patterns in acute otitis media drug prescriptions: a survey of Italian pediatricians and otolaryngologists.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether physicians follow current guidelines for managing acute otitis media (AOM) and whether educational programs are needed to improve knowledge of AOM treatment among paediatricians (PEDs) and otolaryngologists (ENTs) Methods: A total of 1270 PEDs and 852 ENTs were randomly selected and interviewed with an anonymous questionnaire about how they managed AOM.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Inappropriate AOM approaches were identified among 60.2% of PEDs and 88.5% of ENTs (p < 0.001). Amoxicillin and amoxicillin with clavulanic acid were appropriately chosen as first-line drugs by the majority of PEDs and ENTs, although significantly more ENTs reported otherwise (15.8% PEDs vs 25.5% ENTs; p < 0.001). ENTs were significantly more likely than PEDs to report prescribing decongestants, mucolytics, anti-inflammatory drugs, and steroids (p < 0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that AOM prescriptions for antibiotics and adjunctive treatments are often inappropriate and highlight the need for educational strategies aimed at PEDs and ENTs to improve their compliance with evidence-based guidelines for AOM treatment.
authors: Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, Milan, Italy.
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Marchisio
authors: Marta
authors: M
authors: Tagliabue
authors: Catherine
authors: C
authors: Klersy
authors: Eugenio
authors: E
authors: Mira
authors: Fabio
authors: F
authors: Pagella
authors: Elena
authors: E
authors: Baggi
authors: Miriam
authors: M
authors: Fattizzo
authors: Susanna
authors: S
authors: Esposito
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Principi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011307:Drug Prescriptions / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D017723:Drug Utilization Review; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010036:Otolaryngology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: acute otitis media; adjunctive treatment; antimicrobial therapy; ear; otitis; prescribing habits