No Antibiotics for Common Middle-Ear Infections, NICE Says

Doctors shouldn’t prescribe antibiotics for acute otitis media, a middle-ear infection common in children and young people, the UK’s National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said.

More than half of affected patients show improvement within 24 hours, even without antibiotics, NICE said, so care should include pain relief rather than antibiotics.

This advice, included in draft guidance, should assist in efforts to reduce antibiotic resistance, the agency said.