TABLE 2 BASELINE CHARACTERISTICS
Total group n = 223; 37 practices | Intervention n = 94; 19 practices | Usual care n = 129; 18 practices | |
|---|---|---|---|
Characteristic | |||
Age (months)† | 40 (16–64) | 38 (13–62) | 43 (20–66) |
Sex (boys) | 120 (53.8) | 54 (57.4) | 66 (51.2) |
Medical history | |||
Recurrent AOM | 26 (11.7) | 14 (14.9) | 12 (9.3) |
Recurrent URTI | 24 (10.8) | 13 (13.8) | 11 (8.5) |
Previous ENT surgery | 23 (10.3) | 15 (16.0) | 8 (6.2) |
Atopic constitution | 24 (10.8) | 16 (17.0) | 8 (6.2) |
Symptoms prior to consultation (parent-reported) | |||
Ear pain (yes/no)* | 166 (86.9) | 75 (90.4) | 91 (84.3) |
Number of days† | 2 (0.5–3.5) | 2 (0.5–3.5) | 3 (1–5) |
Otorrhoea* | 28 (15.7) | 12 (15.4) | 16 (16.0) |
Number of days† | 0 (0–0) | 2 (0–5) | 2 (0–4.5) |
Fever* | 126 (64.3) | 50 (60.2) | 76 (67.3) |
Number of days† | 2 (0.5–3.5) | 2 (1–3) | 3 (2–4) |
Physical examination | |||
Temperature in °C‡ | 37.8 ± 1.0 | 37.6 ± 0.9 | 37.9 ± 1.1 |
Ill appearance | 43 (20.0) | 18 (19.6) | 25 (20.3) |
Unilateral AOM | 144 (64.6) | 65 (69.1) | 79 (61.2) |
Redness | 132 (59.2) | 60 (92.3) | 72 (91.1) |
Bulging | 81 (36.3) | 29 (44.6) | 52 (65.8) |
Otorrhoea | 12 (5.4) | 4 (6.2) | 8 (10.1) |
Bilateral AOM | 79 (35.4) | 29 (30.9) | 50 (38.8) |
Redness | 74 (33.2) | 29 (100) | 45 (90.0) |
Bulging | 53 (23.8) | 17 (58.6) | 36 (72.0) |
Otorrhoea | 8 (3.6) | 3 (10.3) | 5 (10.0) |
Symptoms at baseline (parent-reported) | |||
Proportion of children with ear pain* | 204 (98.1) | 87 (98.9) | 117 (97.5) |
Proportion of children with fever* | 107 (54.9) | 40 (48.2) | 67 (59.8) |
Antibiotic prescriptions** | 92 (41.3) | 36 (38.3) | 56 (43.4) |