Effect of Antibiotics for Otitis Media on Mastoiditis in Children: A Retrospective Cohort Study Using the United Kingdom General Practice Research Database

Abstract

Most children with mastoiditis have not seen their general practitioner for otitis media. Antibiotics halve the risk of mastoiditis, but the high number of episodes needing treatment to prevent 1 case precludes the treatment of otitis media as a strategy for preventing mastoiditis. Although mastoiditis is a serious disease, most children make an uncomplicated recovery after mastoidectomy or intravenous antibiotics. Treating these additional otitis media episodes could pose a larger public health problem in terms of antibiotic resistance.