Guidelines for treating acute otitis media
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* Dave Davis

In a recent commentary, R.A.M.J. Damoiseaux1 misquotes the guideline for the treatment of otitis media that has been endorsed by the Guidelines Advisory Committee (GAC) of the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care and the Ontario Medical Association.

The article states that the GAC “advises using antibiotics to treat any symptomatic episode of acute otitis media.” In fact, the GAC-endorsed guideline2 also recommends watchful waiting, among other options. Furthermore, the GAC “guideline note” on this subject points to the degree to which clinicians underestimate the natural history of this condition and the marginal impact of antibiotics on outcomes.3

## Footnotes

*   *Competing interests:* None declared.

## References

1.  1. Damoiseaux RAMJ. Antibiotic treatment for acute otitis media: time to think again [commentary]. CMAJ 2005;172(5):657-8.
    
    [FREE Full Text](http://www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ijlink/YTozOntzOjQ6InBhdGgiO3M6MTQ6Ii9sb29rdXAvaWpsaW5rIjtzOjU6InF1ZXJ5IjthOjQ6e3M6ODoibGlua1R5cGUiO3M6NDoiRlVMTCI7czoxMToiam91cm5hbENvZGUiO3M6NDoiY21haiI7czo1OiJyZXNpZCI7czo5OiIxNzIvNS82NTciO3M6NDoiYXRvbSI7czoyMjoiL2NtYWovMTczLzMvMjM2LjMuYXRvbSI7fXM6ODoiZnJhZ21lbnQiO3M6MDoiIjt9) 

2.  2. Linsk R, Blackwood A, Cooke J, Harrison V, Lesperance M, Hildebrandt HM. University of Michigan Health System. Guidelines for clinical care. Otitis media. Ann Arbor (MI): Regents of the University of Michigan; updated 2002 May. Available: [http://cme.med.umich.edu/pdf/guideline/om.pdf](http://cme.med.umich.edu/pdf/guideline/om.pdf) (accessed 2005 Apr 28).
    
    

3.  3. Otitis media: antibiotic therapy. Guideline notes. Toronto: Guidelines Advisory Committee; updated 2005 Mar 31. Available: [http://gacguidelines.ca/article.pl?sid=02/07/03/2017236](http://gacguidelines.ca/article.pl?sid=02/07/03/2017236) (accessed 2005 Apr 28).