Otitis media with effusion in preschool children.

Abstract

The incidence, prevalence, and natural history of otitis media with effusion (OME) and middle ear high negative pressure (HNP) were investigated in a group of 2 to 6 year old preschool children. The children were examined monthly over a two year period from September 1981 to August 1983. The middle ear status was assessed using a decision-tree algorithm which combined the findings of pneumatic otoscopy, tympanometry, and acoustic reflex measurements. Fifty-three percent of the children in the first year and 61% in the second year developed OME; also during the two years, HNP was documented in 66% of the children. Eighty percent of OME episodes lasted only two months. The prevalence of OME and HNP showed a seasonal variation and a strong association with the presence of upper respiratory infections (URIs). The incidence of OME was independent of age. These data indicate that OME and HNP are prevalent conditions with a high spontaneous recovery in the preschool population.

Effect of nasal balloon autoinflation in children with otitis media with effusion in primary care: an open randomized controlled trial

“…Effects were consistent across individual OMQ-14 items (Appendix 3, available at www.cmaj.ca/lookup/ suppl/doi:10.1503/cmaj.141608/-/DC1). Overall, children in the autoinflation arm had fewer days with any symptom or problem than children in the control arm at 1 month (median [interquartile range] 8 [2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16] v. 22 d; OR 0.58, 95% CI 0.37 to 0.90) ( Table 3).…”

“…7 Resolution is clinically unpredictable, [8][9][10] with about a third of cases showing recurrence. 11 In the United Kingdom, about 200 000 children with the condition are seen annually in primary care. 12,13 Research suggests some children seen in primary care are as badly affected as those seen in hospital.…”

A double-blind randomised placebo-controlled trial of topical intranasal corticosteroids in 4- to 11-year-old children with persistent bilateral otitis media with effusion in primary care

“…Epidemiological studies of OME reveal that it affects 50-80% of children by the age of 5 years, 20,22 with 2 per 1000 (the most severely affected children) receiving surgery per year. 3,8 These and other data confirm the magnitude of the problem of OME on child health as being of the first order, although total impact remains difficult to quantify precisely.…”

Hearing loss in rural population : the etiology

“…O.M. is more common among males than among females (Casselbrant et al, 1985;Teele et al, 1989 The pathology of sensorineural hearing loss resulting from otitis media was assessed by Paparella et al (1972), Goycoolea et al (1980) and walby et al (1983). The round window membrane was a site of pathological involvement, especially in C.S.O.M.…”