Overview
Introduction
Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, the small air filled space that sits behind the eardrom and connects to the back of the throat through the eustachian tube.
Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, the small air-filled space that sits behind the eardrom and connects to the back of the throat through the eustachian tube. It is one of the most common reasons that children are brought to clinics, urgent care, and emergency departments, and it also affects some adults. For the practical or vocational nurse, otitis media is a condition you will encounter constantly across pediatric offices, family practice, long-term care, home care, and acute care settings. Your role as an LPN, LVN, or RPN is not to diagnose the ear infection or to independently choose the antibiotic. Those decisions belong to the physician, nurse practitioner, or in some settings the registered nurse working within an advanced protocol. Your role is to recognize when a child or adult may have an ear problem, gather accurate assessment information, take and report vital signs and pain scores, administer medications safely and correctly when they are ordered, watch closely for signs that the condition is getting worse, escalate promptly to the supervising nurse or provider, document clearly, and...