Improving Antimicrobial Stewardship in the Emergency Department for Patients Diagnosed with Acute Otitis Media

Background The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends the use of narrow-spectrum antibiotics as first-line therapy for the 4 most common childhood respiratory bacterial illnesses (ear, sinus, throat, and lung infections).1 The AAP Acute Otitis Media (AOM) clinical practice guidelines, which were last updated in 2013, recommend narrow spectrum antibiotic duration of 10 days for children < 2 years of age and 7 days for children ≥ 2 years to minimize side effects and reduce development of antibiotic resistance.2 The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) AOM clinical pathway also reflects these recommendations.3 Methodology A multidisciplinary team convened …