Disappearance of middle ear effusion in acute otitis media monitored daily with tympanometry

BACKGROUND: Disappearance of middle ear effusion is one of the most important outcomes in the treatment of acute otitis media (AOM). AIM: To evaluate the duration of effusion in AOM treated by antimicrobials and to find factors influencing it. METHODS: Parents of 90 children with AOM monitored daily the disappearance of effusion with tympanometry. The children were randomly allocated to be treated with either oral amoxicillin or cefuroxime-axetil for 10 d. Daily monitoring lasted for 14 d or until the tympanogram was normal (curve A or C) in both ears. Pneumatic otoscopy was carried out every 2 wk. RESULTS: Normal tympanograms were obtained after a median time of 7.5 d (range 1-58 d) among 75 successfully monitored patients. In two-thirds (69%) of them, effusion resolved in 14 d. The median duration of effusion did not differ significantly between the two treatment groups (8 vs 7 days, p=0.7). The children who had unilateral AOM cured more rapidly than those with bilateral AOM (5 vs 19 d, p<0.001). In logistic regression analysis adjusted for age, bilaterality explained treatment failure at 2 wk with an odds ratio of 28.1 (95% CI 4.6-169.5, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: The choice of antimicrobials did not influence the duration of middle ear effusion, which was much shorter than had been thought previously. Children with unilateral AOM were cured much more quickly than those with bilateral AOM.     

Middle ear effusion among children diagnosed and treated actively for acute otitis media

We assessed the point prevalence of middle ear effusion among day care children in an area where acute otitis media is diagnosed, treated and followed actively. Minitympanometry was used to screen 850 day care centre attendants aged 0.6 to 6.9 years (mean 3.7 years). Tympanometry was performed by two trained nurses at the day care centres and pneumatic otoscopy was done by a paediatrician when effusion was suspected. We found 60 (7.1%) children to have middle ear effusion, which was bilateral in 23 (2.7%) cases. Of the children with bilateral effusion 13 had respiratory symptoms fulfilling the criteria of acute otitis media, 8 of them had experienced acute otitis media during the past 3 weeks and were diagnosed to have otitis media with effusion, and only 2 (0.2%) were asymptomatic children not identified earlier. Of the 37 (4.4%) children with unilateral effusion, 14 had acute otitis media and 23 otitis media with effusion, of whom 12 children (1.4%) had not been identified earlier. The point prevalence of acute otitis media was 3.2% and that of otitis media with effusion 3.9%. Conclusion We conclude that active diagnosis and treatment of acute otitis media practically eliminates such middle ear effusion that could cause significant hearing impairment. Received: 10 November 1997 / Accepted: 31 January 1998     

The use of acoustic reflectometry in the study of middle ear effusion in children suffering from acute otits media,upper respiratory tract infection and in healthy children

This report focuses on the occurrence of middle ear effusion in children with acute otitis media (n = 62), upper respiratory tract infection (n = 81) as well as in healthy control children (n = 152). Data are reported in age categories 0–4 and 5–13 years. Middle ear effusion was found in 86% of children with acute otitis media, 49% of children with upper respiratory infection and 13% of healthy children. The younger the child, the more likely the presence of middle ear effusion in all groups. Acute otitis media and upper respiratory tract infection were clinically indistinguishable in infants. Conclusion Middle ear effusion is not generally a particularly significant clinical problem in children. Received: 31 January 1996 Accepted: 12 April 1996     

Parental suspicion of hearing loss in children with otitis media with effusion

Objective This study aimed to evaluate the parental suspicion of hearing loss in children with otitis media with effusion (OME). As part of a population-based survey in a screening programme among 6- to 7-year-old Chinese children in Hong Kong, OME cases and controls were studied for the value of parental observations in the prediction of OME and hearing test results.Subjects and methods Prior to the otoscopic and tympanometric examination of the children on school premises, a self-administered binary-choice question was sent to the parents asking whether there was any suspicion of hearing impairment. Positive screens and randomly selected negative screens were seen in a hospital clinic for the confirmation of case and control status 2 to 3 weeks after the school screening. Aural examination under microscopy, repeated tympanometry and stapedial reflex testing, and pure-tone audiometry (PTA) were conducted, and 117 cases and 159 controls were included in this study.Results The average PTA conductive threshold levels in the individual children with OME ranged from 3.8 dB to 40.0 dB with a group mean of 17.0 dB in the better-hearing ears. Parental suspicion of hearing deficit was significantly associated with OME (p<0.001) but not PTA findings (p=0.686). The sensitivity of parent-suspected hearing impairment to detect OME however was very low (19.7%).Discussion In other words, if we had relied on parental suspicion as the first screening, at least 80% of the OME cases would have been missed. We conclude that the parental suspicion of hearing loss is inadequate for the identification of mild hearing loss as caused by OME. Health education is recommended to improve parental awareness of the disease.     

Reduced iNOS expression in adenoids from children with otitis media with effusion

Granath A, Norrby‐Teglund A, Uddman R, Cardell L‐O. Reduced iNOS expression in adenoids from children with otitis media with effusion.
Pediatr Allergy Immunol 2010: 21: 1151–1156.
© 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S Nitric oxide (NO) is a key mediator in the local immune response of human airways. Inducible NO‐synthases (iNOS), and endothelial NO‐synthases (eNOS) are two enzymes known to regulate its production. The role of NO in middle ear disease is not fully known. Previous studies suggest that NO might have a dual role, both promoting and suppressing middle ear inflammation. The aim of the present study was to compare the eNOS and iNOS expression in adenoids obtained from children with otitis media with effusion (OME) with the expression seen in adenoids derived from children without middle ear disease. In addition, the expression of IL‐1β and TNF‐α were analyzed, because of their role in the iNOS‐induction pathway. The iNOS and eNOS expression were analyzed with real‐time PCR in 8 OME and 11 control adenoids. The corresponding proteins were demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining of adenoid tissue. A Luminex^® assay was performed to analyze IL‐1β and TNF‐α in nasopharyngeal secretion in 10 OME and 8 controls, and immunohistochemistry was performed on adenoid tissue and imprints from the adenoid surface. Children with OME exhibited lower levels of iNOS than controls without middle ear disease. No such difference was seen for eNOS. The corresponding proteins were found mainly in conjunction with surface epithelium. No significant changes were seen among the cytokines tested. The present results indicate that local induction of iNOS in adenoids might be of importance for preventing development of OME.     

Effect of pneumococcal vaccination on otitis media with effusion in children older than 1 year

Pneumococcal vaccines may be effective in preventing or decreasing the burden of disease related to otitis media. In study reported here, we investigated the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination on otitis media with effusion (OME) in children (n = 383 children aged 1–7 years) with a history of recurrent otitis media within the framework of a randomized double blind placebo controlled trial. Children were randomized to be immunized with either a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine followed by the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine, or by hepatitis A or B vaccines. The proportion of children diagnosed with OME at the scheduled follow-up visits – 7, 14, 20 and 26 months after randomization – was then calculated. OME was diagnosed according to an algorithm combining tympanometry and otoscopy. The percentage of children diagnosed with OME was similar in the pneumococcal vaccination group and control group at both baseline and the follow-up visits at 7, 14, 20 and 26 months – 52.9 versus 52.7, 44.9 versus 44.2, 34.9 versus 31.5, 40.8 versus 32.2 and 31.4 versus 26.1, respectively (corresponding to p-values of 0.96, 0.89, 0.51, 0.13 and 0.36, respectively). We conclude that the combined pneumococcal conjugate and the polysaccharide vaccination have no beneficial effect on OME in children aged 1 year or older with a history of recurrent otitis media. Therefore, these vaccinations are not indicated in the prevention of OME in these children.     

Missed opportunities for a diagnosis of acute otitis media in Aboriginal children

OBJECTIVE: Severe otitis media and its sequelae are common in rural and remote Aboriginal children. Identification of acute otitis media (AOM) is likely to reduce the number of children who go on to develop chronic suppurative otitis media and associated complications. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnoses made by researchers with that documented in the medical records of children admitted to the paediatric isolation ward of the Royal Darwin Hospital, Darwin, Northern Territory. METHODS: Children aged <8 years admitted to Royal Darwin Hospital were eligible for assessment by pneumatic otoscopy, video-otoscopy and tympanometry. A diagnosis was made for each child according to the state of their worst ear. Comparisons were made between the researcher diagnoses of ear disease and those documented in the hospital notes by medical staff. RESULTS: Thirty-one children were enrolled during 32 admissions. Most were aged <2 years, Aboriginal, and resided in remote communities. Sixty-one video-otoscopic assessments were attempted and sufficiently good images to allow diagnosis were obtained in 105 of 122 ears. Acute otitis media was diagnosed by the research team in 20 of 32 child admissions. Of 29 children who had ear examinations documented by hospital staff, only seven had a diagnosis of AOM recorded. Overall, the research team were almost three times more likely to make this diagnosis (relative risk 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.6, 5.2). This difference was unlikely to have occurred by chance (P = 0.0002, McNemar's Chi-squared test). CONCLUSIONS: In this small study, young Aboriginal children with clear bulging of their tympanic membrane were not diagnosed with AOM by medical staff. Further training in diagnosis, including cleaning of the ear canal, may lead to more accurate assessment and appropriate recommendations for ongoing management.     

Middle ear effusion in children

Acute otitis media (AOM) and otitis media with effusion (OME) in children can present with a variety of middle ear effusions (MEE). Even though the character of the effusion may vary, the underlying pathogenesis is often similar. In the last decade, there has been an abundance of new information in the fields of immunobiology and immunochemistry to explain the chronicity of MEE. There are also studies examining the efficacy of vaccination and immunoprophylaxis for recurrent AOM. Diagnosis of otitis media (OM) in a child can be difficult but good visualization by pneumatic otoscopy improves the accuracy of diagnosis of OME. The development of increasing bacterial resistance to antimicrobial therapy reinforces the need to be more rational in treating AOM and OME. The variability of the natural history and the long term sequelae of OME makes medical management more difficult. All children with chronic MEE should have audiologic evaluation. Surgery is recommended should the condition be refractory to medical therapy or if the complications of MEE develop.     

The microbiology of glue ear in Australian Aboriginal children

Objective:   To study the bacterial cultures of middle ear aspirates from 27 Aboriginal children with otitis media with effusion.
Methods:   Standard bacteriological techniques were used to analyse the middle-ear aspirates collected during surgery to insert grommets in 27 Aboriginal children. Swabs of the tympanic membrane were taken for comparison.
Results:   Forty-five aspirates were collected from 59 myringotomies. Positive cultures were obtained from 19 of these (13 children) with potentially pathogenic organisms identified in 11 children including Staphylococcus , Pseudomonas , Haemophilus influen z ae , Moraxella , Achromobacter, Enterobacter and Corynebacterium .
Conclusion:   This is only the second study to look at the bacteria in middle ear effusions in Aboriginal children. Streptococcus pneumoniae was notable in its absence as was found in a previous study.     

Management of children with otitis media: A summary of evidence from recent systematic reviews

Health-care professionals who manage children are regularly confronted with clinical questions regarding the management of the full spectrum of otitis media: acute otitis media; otitis media with effusion; and chronic suppurative otitis media. Given the variety of potential therapies available, the wide spectrum of middle ear disorders, and the lack of consensus about management strategies, clinicians are in a difficult position when managing these children. In this review, we seek to summarise the current best evidence for answering otitis media management questions by collating existing systematic reviews.     

Facial nerve paralysis secondary to acute otitis media in infants and children

Nowadays, facial paralysis is an uncommon complication of acute inflammation of the middle ear, with an estimated incidence of 0.005%; it was not so rare in the pre-antibiotic era, occurring in 0.5-0.7% of middle ear inflammatory processes. We would like to highlight this complication of acute otitis media, a common paediatric complaint. We present three new cases of facial palsy in children with acute otitis media and discuss the etiological mechanisms and different approaches to the treatment; a flow chart for facial paralysis in acute otitis media is also presented. Our three patients recovered completely after mastoidectomy (first two cases) and myringotomy with antibiotic therapy (third case). Facial paralysis is an uncommon complication of otitis media which requires appropriate care. Following our experience and revision of literature on the subject, antibiotic therapy and myringotomy are the first-line procedures. Surgery should be employed in case of acute or coalescent mastoiditis, suppurative complications and lack of clinical regression.     

Identification of Chlamydia trachomatis with polymerase chain reaction in middle ear fluid in otitis media with effusion

In this study, 78 middle ear aspiration samples from 59 children between the ages of 2 14 who have undergone myringotomy under general anesthesia were included. The presence of DNA genome of Chlamydia trachomatis was analyzed with polymerase chain reaction in the aspiration material. The relationship between the nature of the effusion fluid and the presence of Chlamydia trachomatis was investigated. Of the seventy eight middle ear effusions, 26 (33.3%) were serous, 31 were (39.7%) mucoid and 21 (26.9%) were sero mucoid in nature. Chlamydia trachomatis DNA genome was identified in seven (8.9%) effusion samples. Of these, three were mucoid (42.8%), three were serous (42.8%) and one was sero mucoid (14.2%) in character. We think that during the bacteriological analyses carried out for the cases of otitis media with effusion, Chlamydia trachomatis should be taken into consideration both at the time of diagnosis and the treatment.