Prevalence of otitis media with effusion in school age children

Abstract

Background : Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) also known as Secretory Otitis Media, has been identified as a common middle ear condition causing deafness in children in developed and developing countries. Aim: To assess the prevalence and the different modes of presentation of Otitis Media with Effusion among the rural school age children and to assess the improvement in hearing after 6 months of surgical intervention done on patients with Otitis Media with Effusion.Materials and Method:  Amongst patients presenting to the out patient department of ANMMCH,Gaya a study was done on 600 children in the age group of 5-12 years for identifying children with Otitis Media with Effusion. Students with Otitis Media with Effusion were further classified into 4 groups for various interventional procedures namely adenotonsillectomy with bilateral grommet insertion (Group A), adenoidectomy with bilateral grommet insertion (Group B), bilateral grommet insertion (Group C), bilateral myringotomy with wide field incision in the antero-inferior quadrant (Group D).Result : The prevalence was almost in equal proportions in the age group between 5-12 years and the overall prevalence of Otitis Media with Effusion among the study population was 13.3%. The adenotonsillectomy with bilateral grommet insertion procedure had shown a significant improvement in hearing, which was measured by using pure tone audiometry by assessing the mean air- bone gap, which was 9.81, 8.27 and 6.73 at the end of 6 weeks, 3 months and 6 months respectively, when compared to the other procedures.Conclusion : Adenotonsillectomy with bilateral grommet insertion should be considered in a child with Otitis Media with Effusion who is at risk for speech/language/hearing loss.