More on Ear Infections, Wait And See Works Best

A little more on the topic of ear infections, from Forbes:

A new study found that almost two-thirds of children given a prescription for antibiotics -- just in case -- didn't need to have the prescription filled to get better.

"Our study evaluated a 'wait-and-see' prescription for ear infections in children," said the study's lead author, Dr. David Spiro, who was at Yale University School of Medicine at the time of the study. "Compared to children who were given antibiotics, children in the wait-and-see group had the same outcomes."

Spiro, who now heads Pediatric Emergency Medicine at Doernbecher Children's Hospital and Oregon Health and Science University in Portland, said that by giving parents a prescription and asking them not to fill the prescription unless the child developed a higher fever or had continued ear pain, doctors can empower families to become part of the child's health-care team.

Additionally, he said, by offering the wait-and-see prescriptions, doctors can help families save time and money. That's because if the child's condition worsens, parents don't have to take time off from work to go see the doctor again if they already have a prescription in hand.

The study findings are published in the Sept. 13 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.