Nursing Diagnoses and Patient Education

I. Patient Teaching

A. Medication Administration



1. Correct dosage
2. Correct route of administration
3. Side effects of medication (rash, diarrhea, etc.)
4. Complete full course of medication
5. Call if lack of symptomatic improvement within 24 hours or fever that persists beyond 48 hours
6. Child should remain home until afebrile
7. Dispose of all outdated medications


B. Decrease in number of episodes through patient education



1. Do not bottle prop while feeding infant
2. Decrease exposure of child to irritants (i.e., cigarette smoke, smoke from wood stoves)

C. Encourage fluids to maintain hydration

D. Consider ENT referral if child has greater than 3 bouts of AOM in 6 months or has been on three different antibiotics and prophylaxis with continued breakthrough infections.

E. Educate parents regarding causes of AOM and that it is not caused by getting ears wet or exposure to cold air. Furthermore, that episodes of AOM are not themselves transmitted to others but that the infectious agents that cause AOM can be spread to others through coughing, sneezing, and not washing hands.

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1. Some Nursing Diagnoses for AOM

   1. Altered Comfort, related to malaise and body temperature fluctuations
   2. Pain, acute
   3. Infection, risk for transmission
   4. Fluid Volume Deficit, related to decreased oral intake

   See Carpenito for more information for nursing diagnoses.

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   Medical Diagnoses for Otitis Media

   Diagnosis					ICD-9 Codes
   1. Acute Otitis Media					382.00
   2. Recurrent Acute Otitis Media					382.9
   3. Otitis Media with Effusion					381.01

Send comments to Terry Leiker
Department of Nursing
College of Health and Life Sciences
Fort Hays State University
Revised October 2000