OTITIS MEDIA IN CHILDREN: MODERN APPROACHES TO THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

This review presents the latest data on preventing and treating otitis media in children. Despite the high prevalence of this inflammatory condition affecting the middle ear and the extensive research focused on finding the most effective strategies, several unresolved issues continue to generate active discussions among specialists. Scientific guidelines for the use of antibiotics in various conditions remain generalized. This generalization is primarily due to limited studies that can reliably identify the most effective antibacterial therapies for short-term and long-term management. Specifically, otitis media, a common condition, still lacks sufficient analysis and response from the scientific community, leaving critical questions about its onset, progression, and effective treatment options unanswered. This situation underscores the need for more detailed scientific research in this area. A literature search was conducted using several databases, including PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, and eLibrary. The search employed keywords such as "acute otitis media", "otitis media with effusion", "chronic suppurative otitis media", "conservative treatment", "antibiotic therapy", "surgical treatment". and "prevention".