This protocol addresses patients with acute otitis media (AOM) who are not allergic to penicillin. The absence of penicillin allergy is the defining clinical condition that shapes the first-line antibiotic selection in this presentation.
Management begins with adequate analgesia to control ear pain, fever, and irritability, combined with first-line antibiotic therapy. The specific antibiotic, dosing strategy, and duration are determined by the patient's age, symptom severity, and recent antibiotic exposure — details that are laid out in the full structured regimen.
Resolution of AOM symptoms — ear pain and fever — and of tympanic membrane bulging and inflammation within 48 to 72 hours.