A 15-month-old boy is seen at the outpatient department for a fever. His mother says that 3 days ago her child had a cough and runny nose. She also observed him pulling on his right ear. Based on these findings, the nurse should suspect?

Explanation

•Acute otitis media generally follows a respiratory infection, either bacterial or viral. Children often have rhinitis and perhaps a low grade fever for a number of days. Suddenly they will have a high grade fever and a sharp constant pain in one or both ears. Older children can verbalize reports of pain. The infant becomes extremely irritable and frequently pulls or tugs at the affected ear in an attempt to gain relief from pain.

•Inflammation of the middle ear is the most prevalent disease of childhood after respiratory tract infections.

•Acute otitis externa is inflammation of the external ear canal.

•Sinusitis is inflammation of the sinuses.

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