Background
AOM, pain
MIDDLE EAR EFFUSION, DISEASE, MIDDLE EAR INFECTION, OTITIS MEDIA, INFLAMMATION OR INFECTION, MIDDLE EAR
Otitis media (OM) is a common disease of childhood characterised by inflammation or infection in the middle ear. Acute OM (AOM) is a middle ear infection most reliably diagnosed by middle ear effusion associated with bulging of the tympanic membrane, and/or ear pain or recent discharge of pus according to Australian guidelines [Otitis media occurs more often and at a younger age in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people compared to other population groups in Australia [AOM symptomatology in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children living in non-remote settings has been little studied. Symptom scales are commonly used in OM research but have not previously been reported in research among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. In this paper, we report on symptoms associated with a diagnosis of AOM and two AOM symptom scales used as research tools within ‘WATCH’, a randomised controlled clinical trial investigating watchful waiting vs. immediate antibiotic therapy for AOM among urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children [