# No Antibiotics For Ear Infections And Parents Told To Avoid Pain Killers For Child Fevers

- Link: https://stayathomemum.com.au/wellbeing/health-checks/no-antibiotics-for-ear-infections-and-parents-told-to-avoid-pain-killers-for-child-fevers/
- Published: 2016-03-16T17:00:41+11:00
- Author: Clare Whitfield

## _Parents all over Australia are being urged to change the way they think about treating their children’s medical woes._

This comes after�doctors have reviewed the medical evidence for more than 60 of 
the most commonly prescribed medical treatments.

The review was a part of the NPS _Choosing Wisely_ campaign, and the doctors hailed
from 14 prestigious medical colleges. Their conclusion is that there are a number
of areas of waste and inappropriate treatment, and that these need to be cut and
changed to control health spending and improve medical practice.

## **The Big Changes**

[⌊Antibiotics for ear infections⌉⌊Antibiotics for ear infections⌉[

via [http://www.doc-baby.ru](http://www.doc-baby.ru)

Unfortunately, the changes may not seem like a benefit to parents who are being 
told today that antibiotics are unlikely to be prescribed for ear infections in 
kids aged 2-12. In their campaign, the doctors have recommended against the routine
use of antibiotics to combat ear pain, saying that it makes little difference. The
president�of the Royal Australian College General Practitioners Dr Frank Jones explains:

> “Regardless of whether one or both eardrums are red or bulging, antibiotics do
> not reduce pain at 24 hours.”

He instead recommended that parents use paracetamol or ibuprofen to control pain,
with antibiotics only being given if the child has vomited, has a fever, or is lethargic.

Antibiotics are also the centre of another recommendation, relating to the practice
of them being prescribed to babies with a fever. The campaign claims that this behaviour
is of little value to the patient and is actually dangerous as it delays parents
in going to the hospital because they believe everything is fine.

One of the aims of the campaign is to encourage us as a society to pull away from
antibiotic overuse. Around one in 14 children suffer side effects from antibiotics,
and they’re so overused now that antibiotic resistant infections are on the rise.

Another recommendation sure to shock parents is one from the Australian College 
of Nursing, which is now recommending that parents do not give their children paracetamol
or ibuprofen when they’re running a fever. They have drawn attention to the benefits
of a fever in terms of slowing the growth and spread of bacteria and viruses, saying
that only an uncomfortable or distressed child should be given the medicines.

## **Everything Else**

[⌊Antibiotics for ear infections⌉⌊Antibiotics for ear infections⌉[

via [http://www.citiscan.com.au](http://www.citiscan.com.au)

The recommendations relating to the care of children are just the beginning in the
Choosing Wisely campaign. The colleges have also made recommendations against routine
x-rays for foot and ankle injuries, routine CAT scans for cancers and appendicitis,
and routine colonoscopies, all of which they claim have a higher risk than reward.

As well as�these, an entire list of what Dr Frank Jones believes are unnecessary
tests and procedures have been targeted in the campaign. Dr Frank Jones and others
connected to the Choose Wisely campaign hope that the new recommendations will start
more conversations between patients and doctors, changing what patients think they
require from a doctor’s visit.

## **Budget Busting**

The Choosing Wisely campaign may prove to be much more effective than the Government’s
own Medicare review, which for a $29.5 billion dollar spend only identified $7 million
in savings. By comparison, the recommendations of the campaign, which are more focused
on the patient and doctor agreeing not to over-screen and over-treat are likely 
to result in savings of both time, money and effort.

## _What do you think of the changes?_

[Source](http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/the-unnecessary-medical-treatments-doctors-want-banned/news-story/4a855411b8c4aac34102fc869548150d)

![author avatar](https://i0.wp.com/stayathomemum.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/
12/clare_whitfield_profile.webp?quality=80&ssl=1)

 Clare Whitfield Chief Editor

 Clare Whitfield is the Editor of Stay at Home Mum and a recognised voice in practical
home management for Australian families. Based in the northern suburbs of Sydney,
she balances editorial leadership with life as a stay at home mum to two school 
age children. Her background in home economics and more than a decade of experience
in recipe development, family budgeting, and household systems inform her work.

 [See Full Bio](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/) [  ](https://stayathomemum.com.au/author/clare_whitfield/)