Antibiotics can be avoided in most children or young people with acute otitis media, and prescribers can provide self-care advice and (where appropriate) a delayed antibiotic prescription, according to a new guideline from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE).1

Acute otitis media is common, self-limiting and mainly affects children. It can be caused by viruses and bacteria (sometimes both are present at the same time), and it is difficult to identify the causative agent.1 The NICE guideline recommends that children and carers should …