Watching, waiting for healthy hearing
Professor Jennifer Reath, Dr Penelope Abbott and Professor Wendy Hu of the School of Medicine, and Associate Professor Federico Girosi of the Centre for Health Research, with research partners including five Aboriginal Health Services are investigating ways to manage ear infections in urban Aboriginal children.
The National Health and Medical Research Council funded project will compare a 'watchful waiting' approach used for non-Aboriginal children with the immediate use of antibiotics recommended for Aboriginal children living in remote areas. 'Acute otitis media [middle ear infection] is a major cause of ill health in children and a common reason for antibiotic prescriptions,' Professor Reath says. 'Ear health is an important Aboriginal health issue. Aboriginal children have higher rates of middle ear infections than other children, and complications of ear disease include hearing impairment which can affect education and quality of life. Also antibiotic resistance is growing in Aboriginal communities.'
National guidelines recommend observation and waiting to see if antibiotics are needed. This 'watchful waiting' approach is now recommended for urban Aboriginal children at low risk of complications. Professor Reath and her team will study the relative effectiveness of the watchful waiting approach while also gauging its cost-effectiveness and assessing its acceptability among parents, carers and health care providers. Avoidable hearing loss and chronic infection must be prevented and this study will inform the treatment of ear infections in Aboriginal children.
Aboriginal Medical Service Partners:
Inala Indigenous Health Service, Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Corporation for Health, Kalwun Aboriginal Health Service, Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation, and Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service.
Project Title: Randomised controlled trial of antimicrobial treatment versus watchful waiting for acute otitis media without perforation in low-risk Aboriginal children
Other Chief Investigators: Dr Hasantha Gunasekera (Children's Hospital Westmead), Prof Amanda Leach (Menzies School of Health Research), A/Prof Deborah Askew (Qld Health), A/Prof Kelvin Kong (University of Newcastle), Prof Timothy Usherwood (Sydney University), and Ms Sanja Lujic (University of NSW).
Associate Investigators: Dr Geoffrey Spurling (Inala Indigenous Health Service), Prof Peter Morris (Menzies School of Health Research), Dr Chelsea Bond (University of Queensland), Ms Samantha Harkus (Australian Hearing), Dr Nadeem Siddiqui (Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health Service), Ms Tallulah Lett & Cheryl Woodall (Tharawal Aboriginal Corporation), Ms Cheryl Sidhom (Kalwun Aboriginal Health Service) and Ms Patricia Scott (Kambu Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Health).
Funding has been set at: $1,640,326
Contact Details: j.reath@westernsydney.edu.au
November 2014 Grant ID: 1046266