Table 2.
Clinical consequences of ear discharge in children with acute otitis media.
| Ear dischargen/N (%) | No ear dischargen/N (%) | Crude OR (95% CI) | Adjusted ORa (95% CI) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP prescribed antibiotic | 35/38 (92) | 97/218 (4 4) | 14.6 (4.3 to 48.8) | 14.7 (3.3 to 65.6) |
| Pain persisted at 1 week | 13/38 (34) | 44/218 (20) | 2.06 (0.97 t o 4.34) | 2.90 (0.89 to 9.46) |
| Further episode of acute otitis media within 3 months | 15/34 (44) | 45/194 (2 3) | 2.61 (1.23 to 5.56) | 3.34 (0.92 to 12.1) |
| Parents reported residual hearing problem at 3 months | 8/36 (22) | 22/198 (11) | 2.29 (0.93 to 5.63) | 4.67 (0.80 to 27.4) |
a
Adjusted for number of infections ever, whether earache in both ears, temperature and pulse; pain at 1 week, and outcomes at 3 months; additionally adjusted for prescribing of antibiotic.