Patient's question:
My child is currently two and a half weeks old. Last night at 10 PM, he cried saying his ears hurt. The doctor at the hospital diagnosed him with otitis media with effusion. He was given prednisone acetate tablets and cefixime granules, but they seem to be ineffective. The child cried all night, and despite being very tired, he could only sleep for a short while before waking up again. This cycle continued until 5 AM when he finally slept more soundly. Additionally, he has started to develop a fever this morning, with a temperature of 37.8°C. Do you think it’s otitis media? If it is, how effective are the two medications mentioned above? What should I do?Doctor's answer:
Otitis media is the inflammation of the tympanic membrane. When bacteria enter the tympanic cavity and the body's resistance weakens or bacterial toxins increase, inflammation occurs, which manifests as ear pain (relieving at night), fever, chills, bitter taste in the mouth, red or yellow urine, constipation, and hearing loss. If the eardrum perforates, pus may flow from the ear, reducing pain and often coexisting with chronic mastoiditis. For children, taking antibiotics will gradually reduce ear pain. If the pain is particularly severe, phenol ear drops can be used to increase pain, but phenol has significant side effects, such as thickening the eardrum. Even adults who do not need it should avoid using it as much as possible. However, if the pain severely interferes with deep sleep, an extremely small amount is acceptable.