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[Acute otitis media: could it be a sentinel indicator of health care?]

David Alejandro Cabrera-Gaytán1, Gabriel Valle-Alvarado, Ernesto Krug-Llamas

  • 1División de Vigilancia Epidemiológica de Enfermedades Transmisibles, Coordinación de Vigilancia Epidemiológica, Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social, Distrito Federal, México. david.cabrerag@imss.gob.mx.

Revista Medica Del Instituto Mexicano Del Seguro Social
|April 25, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Acute otitis media is common in young children. While not a definitive sentinel indicator, tracking these infections can indirectly monitor pediatric medical attention trends.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Epidemiology

Context:

  • Acute otitis media (AOM) is a leading bacterial illness in children under five, frequently prompting pediatric consultations.
  • Understanding AOM's role in healthcare utilization is crucial for public health surveillance.

Purpose:

  • To assess the feasibility of using acute otitis media as a sentinel indicator for pediatric medical attention.
  • To analyze trends in AOM incidence and its relationship with acute respiratory infections in young children.

Summary:

  • Analysis of AOM cases (2008-2011) revealed non-suppurative otitis media in 20% and suppurative otitis media in 17% of children under five.
  • The ratio of acute respiratory infections to AOM cases decreased from 87:1 to 53:1 between 2008 and 2011.
  • Suppurative otitis media incidence declined in this age group, despite a peak in acute respiratory infections in 2009.

Impact:

  • While AOM did not prove to be a feasible sentinel indicator, its incidence provides a means to indirectly monitor pediatric healthcare utilization.
  • Findings highlight the dynamic nature of AOM and its association with respiratory illnesses in young children.
  • This study contributes to understanding disease surveillance strategies in pediatrics.
Abstract

Keywords:
Ear diseasesHealth status indicatorsOtitis media

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