Auditory consequences of recurrent acute purulent otitis media

To investigate whether recurrent purulent otitis media results in permanent hearing loss, we studied 2 subgroups of children from a cohort, earlier prospectively followed from birth to the age of 3 years. One subgroup had recurrent acute otitis media (n = 12), and the other had no acute otitis media at all ("healthy" children; n = 21). At follow-up of these subgroups at the age of 10, no child had acute otitis media or secretory otitis media. There was no difference between the groups in hearing level thresholds at the frequencies 125 Hz to 8 kHz. However, in the children with recurrent acute otitis media, as compared with the controls, the hearing levels at high frequencies (8 to 16 kHz) and the acoustic middle ear reflex thresholds were elevated, the middle ear compliance was higher, and click-evoked otoacoustic emission response levels and middle ear pressures were lower. The results suggest that the middle ear mechanics of children with recurrent acute otitis media are affected, and also that their cochlear function might be disturbed.