Otitis Media (OM) is an infection of the middle ear (the space behind the eardrum) caused by bacteria or virus. It is the most common in infants and toddlers during the winter months. Inflammatory obstruction of the eustachian tube causes accumulation of secretions in the middle ear and negative pressure from lack of ventilation. The negative pressure pulls fluid and microorganisms into the middle ear through the eustachian tube resulting in otitis media with effusion. The illness usually follows a URI or cold. The older child runs a fever, is irritable, and complains of a severe earache, while a neonate may be afebrile and appear lethargic. The child may or may not have a purulent discharge from the affected ear.
Myringotomy is a surgical procedure performed by inserting tubes through the tympanic membrane to equalize the pressure inside. The tympanostomy tubes remain in place until they spontaneously fall out. Most children outgrow the tendency for OM by the age of 6. There is a higher incidence in children exposed to passive tobacco smoke and a decreased incidence in breast-fed infants.
Nursing Care Plans
The goal of nursing care to a child with otitis media include relief from pain, improved hearing and communication, avoidance of re-infection, and increased knowledge about the disease condition and its management.
Here are four (4) nursing care plans (NCP) and nursing diagnosis (NDx) for otitis media:
Acute Pain
Nursing Diagnosis
May be related to
- Inflammation and increased pressure in the middle ear
Possibly evidenced by
- Child verbalizes “my ear hurts”
- Crying episodes
- Infant is pulling at ear
- Rate pain on an appropriate pain scale for age and development
Desired Outcomes
- Child will experience relief from pain as evidenced by sleeping through the night, not pulling the ear and decrease crying episodes.
| Nursing Interventions | Rationale |
|---|---|
| Assess client’s description and frequency of pain; Use a pain rating scale. Observe if the infant is tugging or rubbing an ear. | Pain scale measures the changes in the level of pain by different providers. Preverbal infants vigorously pull or rub the affected ear, roll the head and appear irritable. |
| Monitor and record vital signs closely. | A normal response to pain is an increase in respiratory rate, heart rate, and blood pressure; fever may cause discomfort. |
| Encourage and assist the parent to hold and comfort the client. | Promotes physical comfort and distraction for a child experiencing illness. |
| Encourage the mother to provide and offer liquid to soft foods. | Movement of the eustachian tube, such as with chewing, may further aggravate the pain. |
| Administer pain medication such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen as prescribed. | Analgesic such as acetaminophen and ibuprofen alter response to pain. |
| Monitor child for relief of pain and any side effects of medication. | Provides information about the effectiveness of the medication and prevents untoward effects. |
| Have the child sit up, put pillows behind the head, or lie on the unaffected ear. | Elevation promotes drainage and reduces pressure from fluid. |
| Reassure parents that the discomfort usually subsides within a day on antibiotics but reinstruct the importance of compliance with the whole prescription. |
Parents may be concerned about their child’s pain but may not know to continue the antibiotic after symptoms subside. |
| Instruct the use of a warm heating pad or an ice pack application. Advise parents to turn the heating pad on low and cover it with a towel to ensure safety. | Heat promotes vasodilation thus reduces discomfort; Cold compress may decrease edema and pain. |
See Also
You may also like the following posts and care plans:
- Nursing Care Plan: The Ultimate Guide and Database – the ultimate database of nursing care plans for different diseases and conditions! Get the complete list!
- Nursing Diagnosis: The Complete Guide and List – archive of different nursing diagnoses with their definition, related factors, goals and nursing interventions with rationale.
Pediatric Nursing Care Plans
Nursing care plans for pediatric conditions and diseases:
- Acute Glomerulonephritis | 4 Care Plans
- Acute Rheumatic Fever | 4 Care Plans
- Apnea | 4 Care Plans
- Brain Tumor | 3 Care Plans
- Bronchiolitis | 5 Care Plans
- Cardiac Catheterization | 4 Care Plans
- Cerebral Palsy | 7 Care Plans
- Child Abuse | 4 Care Plans
- Cleft Lip and Cleft Palate | 6 Care Plans
- Congenital Heart Disease | 5 Care Plans
- Congenital Hip Dysplasia | 4 Care Plans
- Croup Syndrome | 5 Care Plans
- Cryptorchidism (Undescended Testes) | 3 Care Plans
- Cystic Fibrosis | 5 Care Plans
- Diabetes Mellitus Type 1 (Juvenile Diabetes) | 4 Care Plans
- Dying Child | 4 Care Plans
- Epiglottitis | 5 Care Plans
- Febrile Seizure | 4 Care Plans
- Guillain-Barre Syndrome | 6 Care Plans
- Hospitalized Child | 5 Care Plans
- Hydrocephalus | 5 Care Plans
- Hypospadias and Epispadias | 4 Care Plans
- Intussusception | 3 Care Plans
- Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis | 4 Care Plans
- Kawasaki Disease | 6 Care Plans
- Meningitis | 7 Care Plans
- Nephrotic Syndrome | 5 Care Plans
- Osteogenic Sarcoma (Osteosarcoma) | 4 Care Plans
- Otitis Media | 4 Care Plans
- Scoliosis | 4 Care Plans
- Spina Bifida | 7 Care Plans
- Tonsillitis and Adenoiditis | 4 Care Plans
- Umbilical and Inguinal Hernia | 4 Care Plans
- Vesicoureteral Reflux (VUR) | 5 Care Plans
- Wilms Tumor (Nephroblastoma) | 4 Care Plans
Thank You for your impact in Nursing👏👏. I hope to be a nurse educator too
Thank you for your comment Meriga! I sure do hope you achieve your dream of becoming a nurse educator! Good luck, future clinical instructor! :)
Thank you for the information, I appreciate.
Helpful and very detailed