Otitis media (OM) also known as an ear infection is a very common problem in general practice. It describes two conditions which form part of a continuum of disease: acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME). Both occur mainly in childhood and both may be caused by bacterial or viral infection.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original article at https://patient.info/doctor/acute-otitis-media-in-children