Rijk, MH;
Hullegie, S;
Schilder, AGM;
Kortekaas, MF;
Damoiseaux, RAMJ;
Verheij, TJM;
Venekamp, RP;
(2021)
Incidence and management of acute otitis media in adults: a primary care-based cohort study.
Family Practice
, 38
(4)
pp. 448-453.
10.1093/fampra/cmaa150.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Although primarily considered a childhood disease, acute otitis media (AOM) also occurs in adults. Data on the burden of this condition in adults are, however, scarce. OBJECTIVE: To explore the primary care incidence and current management of AOM in adults. METHODS: All patients aged 15 and older included in the routine health care database of the Julius General Practitioners' Network were followed from 2015 to 2018 (contributing to a total of 1 261 575 person-years). We extracted data on AOM episodes, AOM-related consultations, comorbidities, and antibiotic and analgesic prescriptions. RESULTS: Five thousand three hundred and fifty-eight patients experienced one or more AOM episodes (total number of AOM episodes: 6667; mean 1.2 per patient). The overall AOM incidence was 5.3/1000 person-years and was fairly stable over the study period. Incidence was particularly high in atopic patients (7.3/1000 person-years) and declined with age (from 7.1 in patients 15-39 years of age to 2.7/1000 person-years in those aged 64 years and older). Oral antibiotics, predominantly amoxicillin, were prescribed in 46%, and topical antibiotics in 21% of all episodes. CONCLUSION: Over the past years, the incidence of AOM in adults in primary care has been stable. Oral antibiotic prescription rates resemble those in children with AOM, whereas a remarkably high topical antibiotic prescription rate was observed. Future prognostic research should inform on the need and feasibility of prospective studies into the best management strategy in this condition.
| Type: | Article |
|---|---|
| Title: | Incidence and management of acute otitis media in adults: a primary care-based cohort study |
| Location: | England |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| DOI: | 10.1093/fampra/cmaa150 |
| Publisher version: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fampra/cmaa150 |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions. |
| Keywords: | Adult, epidemiology, incidence, otitis media, primary health care, treatment |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > The Ear Institute |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10121385 |
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