Screening for Otitis Media: Issues and Procedural Recommendations

Abstract

Otitis media, a common childhood condition, has a high incidence among young children. Recent research reports link recurrent otitis media with language and learning problems, To prevent later learning problems, it is recommended that otitis media-prone children be treated with appropriate educational and medical procedures. Yet, many children afflicted with recurrent episodes of otitis media fail to be identified due to the widespread use of inappropriate and noncontinuous screening procedures. The components necessary for developing an appropriate screening program to identify young children with recurrent otitis media are identified. Suggestions for developing both periodic and ongoing screening programs are presented.