POSTED BY ASHER JONES-U. PITTSBURGH A new smartphone app which uses artificial intelligence to accurately diagnose ear infections, or acute otitis media, could help decrease unnecessary antibiotic use in young children, according to new research. Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common childhood infections for which antibiotics are prescribed but can be difficult...
by American Chemical Society Credit: Pixabay/CC0 Public Domain “Back-to-school” season means buying pens and paper, figuring out the new bus route, and … earaches. Doctors typically treat these infections with antibiotics, but children don’t always complete the full course, accelerating resistance to these medications. Today, researchers report developing a single-use nanoscale system that’s unlikely to generate resistance. Using...
MASSACHUSETTS EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY IMAGE: OTODX IS CURRENTLY BEING EMPLOYED IN A PROTOTYPE DEVICE PAIRED WITH A SMARTPHONE APP. THE DEVICE ACTS AS A “MINI OTOSCOPE” THAT WOULD FIT OVER THE PHONE’S CAMERA AND ALLOW CLINICIANS TO TAKE PHOTOS OF THE INSIDE OF A CHILD’S EAR, UPLOAD THEM DIRECTLY TO THE APP AND RECEIVE...
Water can remain in the ear after swimming or other activities that allow water into the ear canal. The water will usually drain out of the ear naturally. However, if the water does not drain out, it may lead to an outer ear infection, called swimmer’s ear. A person who has water trapped in their...
AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY Outer ear infections, which affect millions of people each year, are typically caused by the bacteria Pseudomonas aeruginosa or Staphylococcus aureus. Repeatedly administering antibiotic drops, the standard treatment, can be a problem for some people, and the only single-use suspension currently available needs to be kept and handled cold. Now, researchers reporting in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering have...
