JAMA: 2006-09-13, Vol. 296, No. 10, Author in the Room Audio Interview

Interview with David Mark Spiro, MD, MPH, author of Wait-and-See Prescription for the Treatment of Acute Otitis, published in the September 13 issue of JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. Summary Points: 1. Wait-and-See Prescription (WASP) is a viable approach to managing children with acute otitis media. Compared with the standard prescription group, the WASP group filled the antimicrobial prescription much less frequently and had equivalent clinical outcomes. 2. Within the WASP group, fever and ear pain were associated with filling the prescription demonstrating that parents are able to make appropriate care decisions when given clear guidance. 3. In the management of acute otitis media, important points for clinicians are first to make right diagnosis and then to provide sufficient analgesia. Adequate pain control allows parents to better manage their sick child and use antimicrobials judiciously while also reducing the risk of medical adverse effects and antibiotic resistance.