Preventive strategies in guidelines for acute otitis media (AOM) management from five developed countries
| Country | USA | ITA | JPN | ZAF | AUS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine immunisation | + | + | + | + | − |
| Influenza immunisation | + | + | − | − | − |
| Handwashing | − | + | − | − | − |
| Reduction in exposure to smoking | + | + | − | − | |
| Day care attendance | + | − | + | − | − |
| Pacifier usage limit* | + | + | + | − | − |
| Breast feeding | + (6 months) | − | + | − | − |
| Ventilating tube insertion | +† | − | + | + | + |
| Chemoprophylaxis‡ | − | − | − | − | − |
| Adenoidectomy | − | − | − | − | − |
*Its elimination in the second 6 months of life may reduce AOM burden.
†Offered for recurrent AOM (≥3 episodes/6 months or ≥4 episodes/1 year).
‡Long-term, low-dose antibiotics to prevent recurrent episodes.
AUS, Australia; ITA, Italy; JPN, Japan; ZAF, South Africa.