Numerator
Number of physician visits with an antibiotic course ordered, supplied, administered, or continued among children under age 5 years diagnosed with an ear infection (ICD-9-CM codes 381.0, 381.4, 382.0, 382.4, or 382.9)
Denominator
Number of children under age 5 years
Methodology
The number of courses of antibiotics for ear infections among young children (and for the sole diagnosis of the common cold among all ages) are the sum of cases reported by NAMCS and NHAMCS that are listed as any diagnosis (including the primary diagnosis).
References
Klein, R.J.; Proctor, S.E.; Boudreault, M.A.; Turczyn, K.M. Healthy People 2010 Criteria for Data Suppression. Statistical Notes No. 24. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2002.