Otitis media.

Despite extensive research on various aspects of otitis media, this disease remains an important health care problem of childhood. The rapid increase in resistance to penicillin and several other drugs among strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae will most likely have a great impact on the antibiotic treatment of acute otitis media. The increasing antimicrobial resistance has once again brought up the question of whether antibiotics are really needed in the treatment of acute otitis media. Further, the resistance problem underscores the great need for effective methods to prevent otitis media. In the current situation, the common practice of using antimicrobial prophylaxis for prevention of otitis media should be seriously reconsidered.