GP practices | | |
Geographical location, n (%) | | |
Urban | 10 (52.6) | 8 (44.4) |
Semi-rural | 4 (21.1) | 6 (33.3) |
Rural | 5 (26.3) | 4 (22.2) |
Practice population, mean ± SD | 4068 ± 2275 | 4402 ± 2850 |
Percentage young children, mean ± SD | 10.9 ± 2.4 | 11.5 ± 3.1 |
|
GPs | | |
Sex, male, n (%) | 27 (56.3) | 22 (50.0) |
Age, years, mean ± SD | 50 ± 11 | 47 ± 11 |
Experience, years, mean ± SD | 19 ± 11 | 17 ± 11 |
|
|
| Intervention | Usual care |
| (N = 94; 19 practices) | (N= 129; 18 practices) |
|
Children | | |
Age, months, median (IQR) | 38 (13–62) | 43 (20–66) |
Sex, male, n (%) | 54 (57.4) | 66 (51.2) |
Weight, kg, median (IQR)a | 15.0 (10.0–20.0) | 14.4 (9.8–18.9) |
Daycare or school attendance, n (%)a | 38 (46.9) | 48 (37.2) |
|
Parental educational level (higher), n (%)a | | |
Mother | 44 (55.7) | 55 (53.4) |
Father | 33 (48.5) | 52 (54.7) |
|
Medical history, n (%) | | |
Recurrent AOM | 14 (14.9) | 12 (9.3) |
Recurrent URTI | 13 (13.8) | 11 (8.5) |
Previous ENT surgery | 15 (16.0) | 8 (6.2) |
Atopic constitution | 16 (17.0) | 8 (6.2) |
|
Risk factors, n (%)a | | |
Pneumococcal vaccination | 79 (97.5) | 106 (97.2) |
Household smoking | 4 (4.9) | 4 (3.7) |
|
Symptoms prior to consultation (parent-reported) | | |
Ear pain, n (%)a | 75 (90.4) | 91 (84.3) |
Days, n, median (IQR) | 2 (0.5–3.5) | 3 (1–5) |
Otorrhea, n (%)a | 12 (15.4) | 16 (16.0) |
Days, n, median (IQR) | 2 (0–5) | 2 (0–4.5) |
Fever, n (%)a | 50 (60.2) | 76 (67.3) |
Days, n, median (IQR) | 2 (1–3) | 3 (2–4) |
|
Physical examination, n (%) | | |
Temperature, °C, mean ± SDa | 37.6 ± 0.9 | 37.9 ± 1.1 |
Ill appearance | 18 (19.6) | 25 (20.3) |
Unilateral AOM | 65 (69.1) | 79 (61.2) |
Redness | 60 (92.3) | 72 (91.1) |
Bulging | 29 (44.6) | 52 (65.8) |
Otorrhea | 4 (6.2) | 8 (10.1) |
Bilateral AOM | 29 (30.9) | 50 (38.8) |
Redness | 29 (100) | 45 (90.0) |
Bulging | 17 (58.6) | 36 (72.0) |
Otorrhea | 3 (10.3) | 5 (10.0) |
|
Symptoms at baseline (parent-reported), n (%)a | | |
Proportion of children with ear pain | 87 (98.9)b | 117 (97.5) |
Proportion of children with fever | 40 (48.2) | 67 (59.8) |
|
Oral antibiotics, immediate prescriptions, n (%) | 22 (23.4) | 48 (37.2) |
Amoxicillin | 17 (77.3) | 45 (93.8) |
Amoxicillin/clavulanic acid | 1 (4.5) | 3 (6.3) |
Azitromycin | 3 (13.5) | 0 (0.0) |
Cotrimoxazole | 1 (4.5) | 0 (0.0) |