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Ear diseases in children presenting at Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital
A S Rijal1, R R Joshi, S Regmi
1Department of ENT and Head and Neck Surgery, Nepal Medical College Teaching Hospital, Attarkhel, Jorpati, Kathmandu, Nepal. asrijal@gmail.com
Insights
Early identification and treatment of childhood ear diseases are crucial to prevent hearing loss and other complications. Wax impaction and acute otitis media were the most common conditions observed in children.
Area of Science:
- Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Medicine
- Public Health
Background:
- Ear diseases are frequent in ENT outpatient settings and can lead to significant morbidity, including hearing disability and mortality if not managed promptly.
- Early diagnosis and intervention are key to preventing adverse outcomes associated with pediatric ear conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the frequency and types of ear diseases in children presenting to a tertiary care hospital.
- To identify common otological problems and age-related patterns in a pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- A prospective study was conducted over three years in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu.
- Data from 2218 consecutive children with ear diseases were collected and analyzed for frequency and cross-tabulation.
- Children were categorized into pre-school and school-going groups, with age-specific analysis.
Main Results:
- The study included 2218 children, with 60.9% being school-going. The most prevalent conditions were wax impaction (40.2%), acute otitis media (24.3%), and chronic suppurative otitis media (17.7%).
- Acute otitis externa accounted for 7.5% of cases. Three-year-olds represented the highest incidence of otological diseases (9.2%).
- Other identified conditions included otitis media with effusion, foreign bodies, otomycosis, preauricular sinus, hearing loss, trauma, keloids, microtia, and perichondritis.
Conclusions:
- Wax impaction and acute otitis media are the leading causes of ear disease in children in this region.
- Enhanced health education for healthcare providers and community awareness programs are recommended to reduce the long-term disability and complications of childhood ear diseases.
Abstract:
Ear diseases are a common presentation in the ENT out-patient department. These diseases can have sequelae if not treated early which may cause increased morbidity, hearing disability and even mortality. Identifying these conditions early and treating them can reduce these unwanted sequelae. A prospective study over a period of three years was undertaken in a tertiary care hospital in Kathmandu. All children presenting with ear diseases consecutively in the ENT out-patients were included and their data was recorded in a pro forma. The data was analysed for frequency and cross-tabulated. The study included 2218 children with ear diseases among which 868 (39.1%) were pre-school and 1350 (60.9%) were school going children. The male to female ratio was 1.5:1. The most common otological problem was wax impaction (40.2%), followed by acute otitis media (AOM) with 24.3%, chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) with 17.7% and acute otitis externa (AOE) with 7.5% of the total cases. The other conditions were otitis media with effusion (2.8%), foreign bodies in the ear (2.3%), otomycosis (1.7%), preauricular sinus (1.1%), sensorineural hearing loss (0.8%), trauma to the ear (0.7%), keloids (0.3%), microtia (0.2%) and perichondritis (0.2%).The three year olds had the highest number of otological diseases with 9.2% of the total among the ages studied. It is felt that proper education of health care providers regarding ear diseases and also awareness in the community can prevent and reduce the disability and complications of these conditions.
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