New 'Ultrasound for the Ear' could slash unnecessary antibiotics in kids
NCT ID NCT05353569
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether a new imaging technology called optical coherence tomography (OCT) can help doctors more accurately diagnose ear infections in children. Researchers will compare standard ear exams with OCT-enhanced exams in 235 children. The goal is to see if OCT reduces unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions or surgeries for middle ear problems.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- OCT device (optical coherence tomography)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, OCT could become a standard tool to more accurately diagnose ear infections in children, reducing unnecessary antibiotic prescriptions and surgeries.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage diagnostic study, not a treatment trial. The device may not prove significantly better than current methods, and results may not apply to all children.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 235 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2022
- Expected to finish
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Apr 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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12 months to 6 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Parental complaint of ear infection or ear pain (Children's Wisconsin Urgent Care Clinics) OR referred for evaluation of otitis media with effusion (Children's Wisconsin ENT Clinic) * Speak English Exclusion Criteria: * Children with craniofacial abnormalities * Children with diagnosed immunologic abnormalities * Children with congenital syndromic conditions * Current open and functioning ear tubes
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
2 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Wisconsin ENT Clinic
RECRUITINGWauwatosa, Wisconsin, 53226, United States
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Children's Wisconsin Urgent Care Clinics
RECRUITINGWauwatosa, Wisconsin, 53226, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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- Does the setting of care affect whether kids finish their antibiotics?