ArticleItalian journal of pediatrics2024
Acute otitis media diagnosis in childhood: still a problem in 2023?
Article in Italian journal of pediatrics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.
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Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.
- Systematic analysis of global trends in otitis media burden across Socio-Demographic Index levels, 1990-2021: findings from the global burden of disease study 2021.Frontiers in public health · 2026Article
- Interventions to Minimize Unnecessary Antibiotic Use for Acute Otitis Media: A Meta-Analysis.Children (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundDiagnosis of acute otitis media (AOM) in children can be challenging, given that symptoms are often non-specific or absent, and that the direct observation of the tympanic membrane in its entirety through otoscopy can sometimes be difficult. The aim of this study is to assess the diagnostic concordance in detection of AOM episodes between primary care paediatricians and physicians especially trained in paediatric otoscopy, and to characterize the most misleading elements in diagnostic failure.
methodsConsecutive clinical charts of children regularly followed for recurrent AOM (RAOM, i.e.: >3 episodes in 6 months or > 4 episodes in 1 year) at our Otitis Media paediatric outpatient clinic were retrospectively screened, in order to collect any diagnosis of AOM episode (and the related clinical findings/middle ear complaints) performed by primary care paediatricians/emergency room paediatricians. Diagnosis of AOM episode was validated by the same experienced physician (FF) in case of otoscopic relief of a bulging eardrum with at least one of the following: hyperaemia or yellow-like colour. The diagnostic concordance in detection of AOM episodes between primary care/emergency room paediatricians and our internal validator was expressed as the percentage of matching diagnosis.
resultsOne hundred and thirty-four single AOM episodes occurring in 87 children (mean age: 26.9 +/- 18.9 months) were included in the analysis. Diagnostic concordance in detection of AOM episodes between primary care/emergency room paediatricians and our internal validator was reported in 72.4% of cases. The most common pitfall found in our study was the misleading diagnosis of AOM in case of hyperaemic tympanic membrane without bulging (32/37 out of non-validated diagnoses).
conclusionsAOM diagnosis still represents a relevant issue among paediatricians in our country, and the presence of tympanic membrane hyperaemia without concomitant bulging can be confusing.
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