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Quality of life issues in chronic otitis media with effusion: parameters for future study
1Department of Psychological Nursing, University of California, San Francisco 94143.
Insights
Ventilation tube surgery significantly reduced healthcare visits and antibiotic use in children with chronic otitis media with effusion. Further research is needed on speech and hearing impacts.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Otolaryngology
- Public Health
Background:
- Chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) significantly impacts children's health and healthcare utilization.
- COME can lead to hearing and speech problems, affecting development and quality of life.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the impact of ventilation tube surgery on healthcare visits and antibiotic use in children with COME.
- To assess parental perceptions of hearing and speech issues post-surgery and identify areas for future research.
Main Methods:
- A pilot study comparing 12 months pre- and post-surgery data for 61 children with COME.
- Data collected included healthcare visits, antibiotic usage, and parental reports on hearing and speech problems.
Main Results:
- Significant reductions in total healthcare visits (mean decrease: 6.18) and ear-related visits (mean decrease: 10.93) were observed post-surgery (P < 0.001).
- Antibiotic usage also significantly decreased.
- A strong correlation was found between total healthcare visits and ear-specific visits before and after surgery (r = 0.4474, P < 0.001).
Conclusions:
- Ventilation tube surgery is effective in reducing healthcare utilization and antibiotic consumption in children with COME.
- Parental concerns regarding speech and hearing warrant further investigation.
- COME has a broad impact on affected children and their families, highlighting the need for continued research.
Abstract:
This pilot project studied 61 children with chronic otitis media with effusion. The 12-month period prior to ventilation tube surgery was compared with the 12 months after surgery with respect to numbers of health care visits, the use of antibiotics, parental perceptions of hearing and speech problems, and other selected parameters. Significant decreases were found in total health care visits (mean decrease: 6.18 visits, P less than 0.001). Ear-related health care visits also decreased significantly (mean decrease = 10.93, P less than 0.001). Total health care visits correlated strongly with visits for ear problems both before and after surgery (r = 0.4474, P less than 0.001). Usage of antibiotics significantly decreased. Parental reports concerning the issues of secondary speech and hearing problems raised questions for additional study. In addition, the qualitative comments offered by parents suggest the breadth of impact of chronic otitis media with effusion in this patient population, and point the direction for future research.