Otitis Media: To Treat, To Refer, To Do Nothing: A Review for the Practitioner.

.On the basis of research evidence, a recommended strategy for improving the care of middle ear infections is to identify the subset of patients least likely to benefit from antibiotic therapy. They include children ages 6 months to 23 months with unilateral disease without severe signs and symptoms (moderate or severe otalgia, otalgia lasting more than 48 hours,or temperature of 39°C [102.