The condition of mastoiditis is potentially life-threatening. Patients who suffer from severe infections may need to be hospitalized. In the hospital, you will be given antibiotics intravenously or through a vein in your arm. After leaving the hospital, you will need to take oral antibiotics for several days.A surgical procedure may be necessary if antibiotic treatment fails to clear up the infection. To drain the infection, you may need surgery to remove part of your mastoid bone.