Ear infections in children. Supportive treatment with antibiotic therapy

Ear infections are among the most common diseases found in children. Otitis is divided, in terms of the part of the organ affected by the disease process, into otitis externa and otitis media. The symptoms presented by the child largely depend on the age and location of the disease process. Treatment depends on the aetiology of the infection and the severity of the symptoms. In treatment, apart from the causal therapy, i.e. in the case of bacterial infections with antibiotic therapy, analgesics play an important role. Caution is advised in prescribing antibiotics due to the increasing drug resistance, and vigilance is required in many cases. Topical herbal remedies seem to be useful especially in otitis externa, although their effectiveness needs to be confirmed in further clinical trials. Proper treatment of ear infections in children is particularly important due to the number of possible complications of this disease, including hearing loss. In this article, we present a literature review on the aetiology, symptoms, and causative and supportive treatment of otitis in the paediatric population.