In a group of 402 infants and young children admitted to the Infant's Ward of the St. Louis Children's Hospital during the six month period between October, 1930, and April, 1931, 194 were found to have acute otitis media. The cases presented wide variations in the clinical course and requirements of pediatric and otologic treatment.
The general diagnosis of associated systemic conditions included pneumonia, septicemia, meningitis, pyuria, nephritis, secondary anemia, anhydremia, athrepsia, diarrhea, birth injuries, congenital defects, asthma and others.
As a general approach to the group, the following points in the history of the onset or course are presented:
One hundred and thirty-three patients had indications of, or a history of, infection of the upper respiratory tract. One hundred and sixty-seven had fever; in 112 the temperature was above 39 C. (102.2 F.). Vomiting occurred in 76, diarrhea in 60 and weight loss in 61. Forty-four had had measles,