Re: Doctors Groups Issue New Ear Infections Guidelines

March 10, 2004

Dianne,

My 10yo recently had an ear infection, the first one in years. I knew

immediatly because of the pain she was having and her request was to immediatly

take out the earmold in the affected ear. I could be wrong but my thought was

the added earmold changed the pressure inside her ear even more causing even

more pain. She did not wear her hearing aid in that ear for 2 days.

March 10, 2004

I was wondering about ear infections...how do ear infections affect children

with hearing aids? Does it make them not want to wear them? Is it harder to

get them in? Just another question I am having....thanks for any input!

Dianne

Mom to Jack, 2 (no hearing loss) and Liam, 2 months (mild/moderate bilateral

hearing loss, Day 6 with digital aids)

Doctors Groups Issue New Ear Infections Guidelines

Saw this and figured it should be posted.

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA7M5DTMRD.html

The Associated Press

Published: Mar 9, 2004

CHICAGO (AP) - Two influential doctors groups published guidelines

Tuesday seeking to limit use of antibiotics for ear infections in

children.

The guidelines stress that about 80 percent of children with ear

infections get better without antibiotics, and that pain relief

should be the top priority.

" We want parents and doctors to first make the child comfortable

with pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, " said Dr.

Ted Ganiats, co-chair of the joint panel that wrote the guidelines.

" Antibiotics do not relieve pain during the first 24 hours and do

not reduce fever any quicker or better than pain medicine, " he said.

The guidelines encourage doctors to initially try pain relief and

observation in otherwise healthy children with relatively mild ear

infections if they can be assured of adequate follow-up. In such

cases, antibiotics could be started if symptoms don't improve in two

or three days, the guidelines say.

If a decision is made to use antibiotics, amoxicillin should be

prescribed for most children, say the guidelines, a joint effort of

the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of

Family Physicians.

Initial treatment with antibiotics may be appropriate for children

younger than 2 and those who are very sick or have a high fever with

their ear infections, the guidelines say.

The guidelines pertain to a specific type of ear infection known

medically as acute otitis media. It's the most common infection for

which antibiotics are prescribed for U.S. children.

There were an estimated 16 million office visits and more than 13

million antibiotic prescriptions written for ear infections in 2000,

the guidelines say.

The groups note that while use of antibiotics for childhood ear

infections has long been routine in the United States, in some

European countries common practice is observation and pain relief

first - which may help stop the rise in antibiotic-resistant germs

created by overuse of the drugs.

" If a child is given an antibiotic and doesn't need it, he or she

may build up an antibiotic resistance and not respond to them when

needed for a more serious infection, such as pneumonia or

meningitis, " said Dr. Allan Lieberthal, co-chair of the guidelines

panel.

Word of the new guidelines first came last week at an infectious

disease conference in Atlanta. The 24-page guidelines were published

on the two groups' Web sites on Tuesday.

The pediatrics group is based in suburban Chicago and the family

physicians group is headquartered in Leawood, Kan.

---

On the Net:

American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org

American Academy of Family Physicians: http://www.aafp.org

AP-ES-03-09-04 2148EST

All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each post is

the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to copyright

restrictions.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

March 10, 2004

I never found that Annika did not like to have them in when she had ear

infections and it wasn't really harder to get them in. But I did usually

keep them out for two reasons. 1). The ears could drain without anything in

the way and 2) you prevent from reinfecting the ears over and over again.

If I had to put them in while she was battling infections I would only do it

for a short period and then I would have to boil the molds and then use

alcohol every time I took them out. It was just the way of keeping them

clean. Of course that is because she has ear tubes and whenever there was

infection we would see drainage. Just what I had to do.

Doctors Groups Issue New Ear Infections Guidelines

>

> Saw this and figured it should be posted.

>

> http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA7M5DTMRD.html

>

> The Associated Press

> Published: Mar 9, 2004

>

> CHICAGO (AP) - Two influential doctors groups published guidelines

> Tuesday seeking to limit use of antibiotics for ear infections in

> children.

> The guidelines stress that about 80 percent of children with ear

> infections get better without antibiotics, and that pain relief

> should be the top priority.

>

> " We want parents and doctors to first make the child comfortable

> with pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, " said Dr.

> Ted Ganiats, co-chair of the joint panel that wrote the guidelines.

>

> " Antibiotics do not relieve pain during the first 24 hours and do

> not reduce fever any quicker or better than pain medicine, " he said.

>

> The guidelines encourage doctors to initially try pain relief and

> observation in otherwise healthy children with relatively mild ear

> infections if they can be assured of adequate follow-up. In such

> cases, antibiotics could be started if symptoms don't improve in two

> or three days, the guidelines say.

>

> If a decision is made to use antibiotics, amoxicillin should be

> prescribed for most children, say the guidelines, a joint effort of

> the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of

> Family Physicians.

>

> Initial treatment with antibiotics may be appropriate for children

> younger than 2 and those who are very sick or have a high fever with

> their ear infections, the guidelines say.

>

> The guidelines pertain to a specific type of ear infection known

> medically as acute otitis media. It's the most common infection for

> which antibiotics are prescribed for U.S. children.

>

> There were an estimated 16 million office visits and more than 13

> million antibiotic prescriptions written for ear infections in 2000,

> the guidelines say.

>

> The groups note that while use of antibiotics for childhood ear

> infections has long been routine in the United States, in some

> European countries common practice is observation and pain relief

> first - which may help stop the rise in antibiotic-resistant germs

> created by overuse of the drugs.

>

> " If a child is given an antibiotic and doesn't need it, he or she

> may build up an antibiotic resistance and not respond to them when

> needed for a more serious infection, such as pneumonia or

> meningitis, " said Dr. Allan Lieberthal, co-chair of the guidelines

> panel.

>

> Word of the new guidelines first came last week at an infectious

> disease conference in Atlanta. The 24-page guidelines were published

> on the two groups' Web sites on Tuesday.

>

> The pediatrics group is based in suburban Chicago and the family

> physicians group is headquartered in Leawood, Kan.

>

> ---

>

> On the Net:

>

> American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org

>

> American Academy of Family Physicians: http://www.aafp.org

>

> AP-ES-03-09-04 2148EST

>

> All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each

post is the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to

copyright restrictions.

>

> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

----

>

March 10, 2004

My understanding is that if a child has an ear that is draining, they should

not be wearing a hearing aid in that ear (so it can drain freely).

on 3/10/04 8:45 AM, Dianne Moran at ljkmom@... wrote:

> I was wondering about ear infections...how do ear infections affect children

> with hearing aids? Does it make them not want to wear them? Is it harder to

> get them in? Just another question I am having....thanks for any input!

>

> Dianne

> Mom to Jack, 2 (no hearing loss) and Liam, 2 months (mild/moderate bilateral

> hearing loss, Day 6 with digital aids)

> Doctors Groups Issue New Ear Infections Guidelines

>

> Saw this and figured it should be posted.

>

> http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGA7M5DTMRD.html

>

> The Associated Press

> Published: Mar 9, 2004

>

> CHICAGO (AP) - Two influential doctors groups published guidelines

> Tuesday seeking to limit use of antibiotics for ear infections in

> children.

> The guidelines stress that about 80 percent of children with ear

> infections get better without antibiotics, and that pain relief

> should be the top priority.

>

> " We want parents and doctors to first make the child comfortable

> with pain relievers such as ibuprofen and acetaminophen, " said Dr.

> Ted Ganiats, co-chair of the joint panel that wrote the guidelines.

>

> " Antibiotics do not relieve pain during the first 24 hours and do

> not reduce fever any quicker or better than pain medicine, " he said.

>

> The guidelines encourage doctors to initially try pain relief and

> observation in otherwise healthy children with relatively mild ear

> infections if they can be assured of adequate follow-up. In such

> cases, antibiotics could be started if symptoms don't improve in two

> or three days, the guidelines say.

>

> If a decision is made to use antibiotics, amoxicillin should be

> prescribed for most children, say the guidelines, a joint effort of

> the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of

> Family Physicians.

>

> Initial treatment with antibiotics may be appropriate for children

> younger than 2 and those who are very sick or have a high fever with

> their ear infections, the guidelines say.

>

> The guidelines pertain to a specific type of ear infection known

> medically as acute otitis media. It's the most common infection for

> which antibiotics are prescribed for U.S. children.

>

> There were an estimated 16 million office visits and more than 13

> million antibiotic prescriptions written for ear infections in 2000,

> the guidelines say.

>

> The groups note that while use of antibiotics for childhood ear

> infections has long been routine in the United States, in some

> European countries common practice is observation and pain relief

> first - which may help stop the rise in antibiotic-resistant germs

> created by overuse of the drugs.

>

> " If a child is given an antibiotic and doesn't need it, he or she

> may build up an antibiotic resistance and not respond to them when

> needed for a more serious infection, such as pneumonia or

> meningitis, " said Dr. Allan Lieberthal, co-chair of the guidelines

> panel.

>

> Word of the new guidelines first came last week at an infectious

> disease conference in Atlanta. The 24-page guidelines were published

> on the two groups' Web sites on Tuesday.

>

> The pediatrics group is based in suburban Chicago and the family

> physicians group is headquartered in Leawood, Kan.

>

> ---

>

> On the Net:

>

> American Academy of Pediatrics: http://www.aap.org

>

> American Academy of Family Physicians: http://www.aafp.org

>

> AP-ES-03-09-04 2148EST

>

> All messages posted to this list are private and confidential. Each post is

> the intellectual property of the author and therefore subject to copyright

> restrictions.

>

> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------

>

March 10, 2004

When my 5 year old had an ear infection recently, our ped. recommended that she

did not wear her that hearing aid for at least 2 days. She doesn't have tubes,

as she rarely gets ear infections, so the drainage wasn't the issue, but did

complain of pain, which is the only reason we knew she had an infection.

Robin

March 10, 2004

When my 5 year old had an ear infection recently, our ped. recommended that she

did not wear her that hearing aid for at least 2 days. She doesn't have tubes,

as she rarely gets ear infections, so the drainage wasn't the issue, but did

complain of pain, which is the only reason we knew she had an infection.

Robin

March 10, 2004

Dianne,

Hadley just finished her meds for her second ear infection. During her first

one in the fall, she wore her aids no problem, although we did reduce the volume

a bit. This time, she couldn't handle the pressure from the molds. The

difference? She just got new earmolds a few days before the infection set in,

and they are an extremely tight fit and go far into her ear. We wound up having

her use her old aids with old molds for 3-4 days (lower amplification than her

current aids, plus the molds are a loose fit). I figured if she could tolerate

those, it was worth her wearing them to get some hearing (she hates to be

without her aids). On top of the infection, Hadley had more back molars coming

in, so there was lots of pressure and activity going on in that area. She did

take short breaks from her aids every so often, but would ask for them to go

back in pretty quickly.

Hadley got through her first two winters with no ear infections; this is the

first winter that she's not breastfeeding and she's now had two. If you are

nursing, keep it up as long as you can! It really did make a difference for us

(her doctors all agree).

Kerry

March 10, 2004