Review of Sources
American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians. (2004). Clinical Guidelines: Diagnosis and Treatment of Otitis Media. Retrieved August 13, 2013 from http://aappolicy.aappublications.org The above source is a filtered source as it was taken from the website of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). It is appropriate to use in nursing clinical practice because it discusses studies done that suggest that watchful waiting is appropriate when treating uncomplicated cases of otitis media. The nurse can use this source to provide education to the parents of these children. The classification of source is evidence-based guideline as it contains many research articles and reviews them in a
These are only certain guidelines the child must meet in order for “watchful waiting” to be appropriate. Other criteria include, pain must not be severe, fever must not be greater than 102.2 Fahrenheit in the last 24 hours, and child must be greater than 6 months of age. (AAP & AAFP, 2004) Antibiotic resistance is becoming a problem in the United States due to its overuse. Many practitioners are choosing to treat the symptoms initially in an uncomplicated AOM such as prescribing analgesics, fever reducer medications and anti-inflammatory medications. According to the article, many placebo-controlled trials conducted over the last 30 years showed that 61% of the children with uncomplicated AOM had decreased symptoms of AOM whether they were treated with antibiotics or not. This may be an indication that antibiotics may not have been necessary and that watchful waiting would have been appropriate in such cases. Watchful waiting is recommended for 48-72 hours. After such time and re-evaluation, if the child does not show improvement, antibiotic therapy with amoxicillin should be started. (AAP & AAFP, 2004) Applying the Findings
One of the ways nurses can apply the findings of the article in the clinical practice is through education to the parents about evidence-based practices such as watchful waiting. The American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians have set forth guidelines and recommendations on