Management of Chronic Suppurative Otitis Media: A Survey of Practicing Pediatricians

Primary care physicians have much expertise from con­ trolled studies in the medical literature to guide them to­ ward optimal management of A Supp OM. This is not true in the case of C Supp O M , which suffers from the lack of well-designed studies evaluating various medical and sur­ gical approaches. Physicians have to rely on what they were taught and on their own experiences. Because C Supp Ο Μ is not common in the United States, with the notable exceptions of high-risk populations such as Eskimos and American Indians, most physicians do not have a large personal experience with the problem.