Materials And Methods Study designA cross-sectional study was done in Saudi Arabia between November 2019 and May 2020 using three selfadministered questionnaires. The questionnaires used in this study were obtained from previously published articles with their permission [2,7,10]. Questionnaires General PublicThe questionnaires were self-administered by members of the general public. Questionnaires were distributed randomly in the waiting area of the National Guard Hospital in Riyadh, as well as public places in the city (mostly coffee shops and malls). All Saudi citizens above 18 years old were eligible to participate, and all non-Saudi participants or individuals younger than 18 were excluded. Participants were randomly selected regardless of their age, gender, or level of education. PharmacistGoogle Forms was used to create the pharmacist questionnaire, which were randomly distributed electronically to all pharmacists working in two well-known pharmacy chains in Saudi Arabia. We included all Saudi and non-Saudi pharmacists working in private pharmacies in Saudi Arabia. Family PhysicianGoogle Forms was used to create the family physician questionnaire. We contacted the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties (SCFHS) to send it by email to all Saudi and non-Saudi physicians who are registered and working in the primary health clinics in Saudi Arabia as Family Medicine Physicians.

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BackgroundAcute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common conditions in the pediatric population and a common reason for physicians to prescribe antibiotics. Most children will develop otitis media at least once during their life. ObjectivesOur study aimed to evaluate and compare the adherence of family medicine physicians, otolaryngologists, pediatricians, and emergency medicine physicians to the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Academy of Family Physicians guidelines for the diagnosis and the management of AOM. MethodsThis is a retrospective study that was conducted at the Ministry of National Guard -Health Affairs affiliated hospitals and primary clinics in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. All patients diagnosed with AOM and treated between 2016 and 2019 were included in the study. Exclusion criteria included any patient above the age of 18 years old or patients with incomplete data on their files. Variables included demographic data of the patients and treating physicians, associated infections, and whether the treating physician followed the diagnosis and management guidelines. ResultsMost patients were below the age of two years. Emergency medicine physicians were the most common to treat patients with AOM. Although most documentations were sufficient, 39.8% were insufficient or not written. Most (74%) physicians adhered to the diagnosis guidelines, while 57.5% adhered to management guidelines. ConclusionAlthough most physicians adhered to the diagnosis and treatment guidelines, stressing on the matter is essential to avoid unnecessary antibiotics use. We recommend further prospective studies with a bigger sample size of more than one center to have a more accurate reflection of the current situation.

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