Pediatrics -- Abstracts: Paradise et al. 112 (2): 265
In otherwise healthy children who are younger than 3 years and have persistent MEE within the duration limits that we studied, prompt insertion of tympanostomy tubes does not measurably improve developmental outcomes at 4 years of age. In such children, persistent MEE within the duration limits that we studied is negligibly associated with and probably does not affect developmental outcomes at 4 years of age.
Soooo ... from the Mecca of otitis media research comes a paper on how interventions does not improve outcomes. A welcome feather in the cap of those who prefer to wait till this goes away. So in the past 15 years, the treatment of persistent MEE has been
- 1988: Antibiotics - and t-tubes if no resolution
- 1994: Observation - and t - tubes if no resolution
- 2003: Observation and more observation if no resolution.
Primium non nocere!