I don't usually do terrorism. My personal opinion is that the physician is required to know all the possible complications, including the most recondite and serious but must communicate to the patient more realistic ones only, updating if necessary the patient as the clinical situation evolves.
Say to the family of a child 7 years with male all ’ ear from 1-2 days that could die is pure and simple terrorism. If after 7 GG important symptoms, in aggravation, do not make a therapy … then the risk life exists!
The recent case of Chronicle of the dead child in Ancona for the complications of an acute otitis media ’, handled only with homeopathic products, inspired me to write a feature article on the possible complications of acute otitis media ’.
L ’ acute otitis media is a ’ infection, typically middle ear bacterial that may resolve spontaneously and, in the vast majority of cases, care effectively with appropriate antibiotic therapy.
The medicine has not had the benefit of antibiotics until 40-50 and before that it was very common to see the complications of this type of infection.
The pus that accumulates in the ’ middle ear can exert pressure on the eardrum to break causing a perforation of the tympanic membrane (frequent situation), that may go against spontaneous or chronic scarring of the perforation (chronic otitis media simple).
Also pus can cause an irritation of the facial nerve (which moves half of facial mimic muscles) and cause a paralysis of half the face which can also be permanent.
L ’ ’ from the middle ear infection may intrude and engage,rear, mastoid cells causing an acute mastoiditis, very painful and dangerous bone infection that often requires emergency surgery to excise necrotic bone l ’. From the mastoid in turn the infection may invade the neck causing an abscess or involve the bone petroso and provoke a sigmoid sinus thrombophlebitis (very serious and dangerous situation) that requires major intravenous therapies.
L ’ infection can also evolve toward high ’ involving the meninges (causing a meningitis) and accumulate in the brain creating extradural abscesses or hypotension.
Pus can also spread medially and enter into the inner ear causing a labyrinthitis itself and also irreversible hearing problems.
Sigmoid sinus involvement may cause thrombophlebitis.
… then l ’ acute otitis media is a serious infection ’? NO, acute otitis media is an infection frequently and corny but that if not treated properly can also result in very serious situations, life-threatening.
Given the ’ high percentage of spontaneous resolution of ’ infection is correct to wait 1-2 days before starting an antibiotic therapy but no later than.
