BRAIN ABSCESSES AND SUBDURAL EMPYEMAS AS A CONSEQUENCE OF ACUTE OTITIS MEDIA: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

Acute otitis media (AOM), common in children, can progress to severe intracranial complications, such as brain abscesses and subdural empyema, with a mortality rate of up to 36%. The problematization of this study was: How can integrated strategies, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment, reduce the morbidity and mortality of these complications? This review analyzes mechanisms of infection spread, pathogenic agents, efficacy of diagnostic methods and therapeutic protocols, in addition to proposing educational measures for prevention. The relevance of the study is based on the high incidence of irreversible neurological sequelae, underreporting cases, and high socioeconomic costs. This study aims to reinforce the need for early diagnosis and the search for more treatments, in addition to encouraging new research.