- Published Guideline
- Executive Summary
- Slide set available here. Contact the Research & Quality Team at cpgcomment@entnet.org for more information.
- Podcasts
- Education Opportunities
- AAO-HNSF Continuing Medical Education (CME) visit www.academyu.org (Academy login required)
- None currently available
- ABOto Maintenance of Certification (MOC) visit www.aboto.org (ABOto login required)
- None currently available
- Research Gaps
- Articles of Interest
- Initial Impact of the Acute Otitis Externa Clinical Practice Guideline on Clinical Care. Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. September 2011 145: 414-417, first published on April 29, 2011
- View/Order Guideline Pocket Card and Mobile App
Clinical Practice Guideline: Acute Otitis Externa
The updated guideline was published as a supplement in the February 2014 issue of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery.
The primary purpose of the original guideline was to promote appropriate use of oral and topical antimicrobials for AOE and to highlight the need for adequate pain relief. An updated guideline is needed due to new clinical trials, new systematic reviews, and the lack of consumer participation in the initial guideline development group. The target patient is aged 2 years or older with diffuse AOE. Differential diagnosis will be discussed, but recommendations for management will be limited to diffuse AOE, which is almost exclusively a bacterial infection. This guideline is intended for primary care and specialist clinicians, including otolaryngologists head and neck surgeons, pediatricians, family physicians, emergency physicians, internists, nursepractitioners, and physician assistants. This guideline is applicable in any setting in which patients with diffuse AOE would be identified, monitored, or managed.
Leadership: Richard M. Rosenfeld MD, MPH (Chair), Seth Schwartz, MD, MPH (Methodologist)
Guideline Update Group: C. Ron Cannon MD, Peter S. Roland MD, Geoffrey R. Simon MD, K. Ashok Kumar, MD, FRCS, FAAFP, William W. Wang, MD, MPH, Helen W. Haskell, MA
American Academy of Family Physicians, September, 2014
Society of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Nurses, Inc . Oct 2011 (original 2006 Guideline)
Resources
In 2012 the ABIM Foundation launched Choosing Wisely® with a goal of advancing a national dialogue on avoiding wasteful or unnecessary medical tests, treatments and procedures.
Choosing Wisely centers around conversations between providers and patients informed by the evidence-based recommendations.
Access the AAO-HNSF Choosing Wisely List of 10 Things Providers and Patients Should Question
Oral antibiotics have significant adverse effects and do not provide adequate coverage of the bacteria that cause most episodes; in contrast, topically administered products do provide coverage for these organisms. Avoidance of oral antibiotics can reduce the spread of antibiotic resistance and the risk of opportunistic infections.
Access the guideline via the National Guidelines Clearinghouse.