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Ear
Infections
University
of Michigan Health System RNS, Ear Infections, August 2002
Full press release at the following URL:
http://www.med.umich.edu/opm/newspage/2002/earinfection.htm
Use of pediatric
ear tubes helps curb over-use of antibiotics
Suggested
Lead: Antibiotics may no longer be the best answer to treating
kids with multiple ear infections. Here's Andi McDonnell with more.
TRT 1:44
SOQ
Virtually all
children will have an ear infection at some point in their young
lives. For some, these infections can become chronic and even dangerous.
And for years, antibiotics have been widely prescribed to fight
pediatric ear infections.
But now Specialists
at the U-M Health System say that in many cases, antibiotics might
not be the best treatment option - especially since the frequent
use of antibiotics can create dangerous antibiotic resistance in
society as a whole.
And for those
children who have frequent ear infections, there are other options.
Dr. Marci Lesperance
(M.D.) assistant professor, at the University of Michigan Department
of Otolaryngology tells us. . . .
"One
option for children with multiple ear infections or frequent infection
or infections that never go away is surgery with tympanostomy
tube placement, and this has been an option for some time. This
is something that we offer or consider in children that have had
a lot of antibiotics, or where medical treatment seems to have
done all it can."
Putting the
tubes in takes about 15 minutes, which allows the child to go home
the same day. The procedure involves a small incision in the eardrum
to insert the tube. This will allow the ear to properly drain and
prevent fluid build-up. Lesperance explains...
"The
concern we have when children have fluid behind their eardrums
all of the time or most of the time is that they're really not
hearing as well as they could be. So by draining out that fluid
we can improve their hearing and give them their best chance at
speech and language development."
Ear infections
are most common in children under the age of two. Symptoms of an
ear infection include a fever and pain behind the ears. Also, Lesperance
says if parents notice their younger children tugging on their ears
or notice they're not hearing as well, they should make an appointment
to see their health care provider.
From Ann Arbor, I'm Andi McDonnell
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Additional
PRMC Info
