Question

The nurse encounters an infant with irritability from Acute Otitis Media while working in a pediatrics clinic. The nurse should know that the infant is at much higher risk than an adult for Otitis Media because of:

Answer 1

Infants are at higher risk for acute otitis media due to factors such as their eustachian tubes being shorter and drainage being shallower, more upper respiratory infections in children than adults, and spending more time lying down.

Step-by-step explanation:

Infants are at much higher risk than adults for acute otitis media (AOM) due to several factors. Firstly, children have more upper respiratory infections compared to adults. Additionally, the eustachian tubes in children are shorter and drain at a shallower angle, making it easier for fluid to accumulate in the middle ear. Another contributing factor is that young children spend more time lying down, which facilitates drainage from the nasopharynx into the middle ear. Bottle feeding while lying down further increases the risk as it creates negative pressure in the eustachian tube, promoting the movement of fluid and bacteria into the middle ear.