The follow up of acute otitis media in general practice.

Acute Otitis Media is a common condition of childhood which potentially has a number of significant sequelae including the development of Otitis Media with Effusion ('Glue Ear'). A general practice based study is described which assesses the implementation of a protocol for the follow up of Acute Otitis Media by the primary care team. The results of this study show that following the introduction of a follow up protocol a significantly improved rate of follow up was achieved with resultant improvements in the identification of 'Glue Ear' and hence more appropriate referral for ENT care.