Differentiating Acute Otitis Media (AOM) from Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) Using Autofluorescence of NADPH in Neutrophils; Experts Rebuffed: The Rising Popular Distrust in Pediatric Medicine

Successful pediatric medicine requires expert diagnosis, treatment, and public trust in professional care. Otitis media (OM) is one of the most commonly misdiagnosed ear infections in children. Pediatricians often misdiagnose both subtypes of OM: acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME). More accurate existing methods are highly invasive. To improve OM diagnostics, a new method to differentiate AOM and OME was proposed. A proof-of-concept noninvasive instrument was created to detect NADPH autofluorescence. Two-fold direct dilutions of NADPH ranging from 0.1 mM to 0.61 nM were performed. The prototype cannot detect physiologically relevant concentrations of NADPH. Future work seeks to improve instrument sensitivity. Deficient diagnostics can erode parental trust in pediatric medicine. This erosion is evident in the Wakefield scandal and anti-vaccination movement more generally. Rising parental vaccine distrust has revived outbreaks of once-eradicated diseases and threatened public health. In response, pediatricians, professional societies, public health agencies, and advocacies are striving to reduce parental distrust. Health experts receptive to distrustful parents strive to address their individual concerns, appeal to their values, advocate in their communities, and influence them online. Parents have become emerging allies, influencing distrustful parents in-person and online.