New guidelines from the American Academy of Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery Foundation recommend practice changes for otitis media with effusion (OME). The updates were published in the February issue of Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery . Changes from the previous guidelines issued in 2004 include a recommendation for screening "at-risk" children or those with developmental issues, syndromes, or conditions that place them at higher risk for OME, said lead author from the Department of Otolaryngology, the State University of New York Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn.
He chaired the committee for both the 2004 guideline and the 2016 update. Children in the high-risk groups are disproportionately affected by middle ear fluid, and the symptoms can be very easy to miss, he said. "We're recommending for the first time that at age 12 to 18 months, these children be screened to see…
