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LETTERS: Andrew Thornett, Erdem I Cantekin, Elizabeth King, R J Lilford, David Braunholtz, G Sandhu, H A Saleh, T Wright, R A M J Damoiseaux, F A M van Balen, A W Hoes, T J M Verheij, and R A de Melker Amoxicillin for otitis media in general practice BMJ 2000; 321: 765 [Full text]

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Otitis Media

Derek Fair   (4 November 2000)

Otitis Media 4 November 2000
Derek Fair Send response to journal: Re: Otitis Media	Editor - Among the discussants of the subject of the diagnosis and treatment of otitis media and antibiotic resistance (1,2) there must be few who recall personally the treatment scene in the pre-antibiotic era. At that time there were always, in the paediatric wards, tracheostomy and mastoidectomy cases who, if they lived, might endure laryngeal stricture or permanent deafness. The grassroots practitioners will always tend to over-use the tools available. To their much-respected academic colleagues they will leave the tasks of dealing with the problems of antibiotic resistance, the malignant sporadically-appearing viruses and the mysterious prions. Derek Fair, general practitioner Tokyo Medical and Surgical Clinic Tokyo, Japan 1. Damoiseaux RAMJ, van Balen FAM, Hoes AW, Werheij TJM, de Melker RA. Primary care based randomized, double blind trial of amoxicillin versus placebo for acute otitis media in children aged under 2 years. BMJ 2000; 320: 350-4. 2. Amoxicillin for otitis media in general practice. BMJ 2000; 321: 765-6.