Prognosis
- acute otitis media is self-limiting illness that will resolve without antibiotics in around three days in 80% of children
- a rupture of the tympanic membrane usually heals
- it rare for mastoiditis or a cerebral abscess to occur
- in some children, there may be recurrent acute otitis media or persistent middle ear effusion following an episode of acute otitis media
Reference:
- Jamal A et al. Etiology, Diagnosis, Complications, and Management of Acute Otitis Media in Children. Cureus. 2022 Aug 15;14(8)
- Danishyar A. Acute Otitis Media. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2025 Jan. 2023 Apr 15.
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