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Association of Diet Patterns and Post-Operative Tympanostomy Tube Otorrhea: A Pilot Study
Kavita Dedhia1,2, Yun Li3,4,5, Virginia A Stallings4
1Division of Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
Insights
Frequent dessert intake in children may increase the risk of otorrhea after tympanostomy tube placement (TTP). This pilot study suggests a link between diet and TTP complications, warranting further investigation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Otorrhea is a common complication following tympanostomy tube placement (TTP) in children.
- Dietary patterns have been anecdotally linked to otorrhea, but robust evidence is lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between dietary patterns, specifically dessert consumption, and the occurrence of otorrhea in children who have undergone TTP.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional survey and retrospective cohort study included 286 children aged 0-12 years who had TTP.
- Dietary patterns, focusing on dessert intake frequency, were assessed using a short food questionnaire.
- Otorrhea episodes were the primary outcome variable.
Main Results:
- 61% of participants experienced at least one episode of otorrhea.
- Children consuming dessert ≥2 times/week had a 3.22 times higher risk of otorrhea compared to those consuming it ≤1 time/week.
- More stringent otorrhea criteria showed a 2.33 times higher risk with dessert intake ≥2 times/week.
Conclusions:
- Pilot data suggest a significant association between frequent dessert intake and increased risk of otorrhea in children with TTP.
- Further prospective studies are needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
Objective:
The objective of this study was to explore diet patterns in children with tympanostomy tube placement (TTP) complicated by postoperative tympanostomy tube otorrhea.
Study Design:
Cross-sectional survey and retrospective cohort study.
Methods:
Caregivers of children (0-12 years old), at a tertiary-care pediatric hospital who underwent TTP within 6 months to 2 years prior to enrollment were included. Children with a history of Down syndrome, cleft palate, craniofacial syndromes, known immunodeficiency, or a non-English-speaking family were excluded. Our primary outcome variable was the number of otorrhea episodes. The primary predictor was diet patterns, particularly dessert intake, which was captured through a short food questionnaire.
Results:
A total of 286 participants were included in this study. The median age was 1.8 years (IQR, 1.3, 2.9). A total of 174 (61%) participants reported at least one episode of otorrhea. Children who consumed dessert at least two times per week had a higher risk of otorrhea compared to children who consumed one time per week or less (odds ratio [OR], 3.22, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.69, 6.12). The odds ratio increase continued when considering more stringent criteria for otorrhea (multiple episodes or one episode occurring 4 weeks after surgery), with a 2.33 (95% CI: 1.24, 4.39) higher odds of otorrhea in children with dessert intake at least 2 times per week.
Conclusions:
Our pilot data suggest that episodes of otorrhea among children with TTP were associated with more frequent dessert intake. Future studies using prospectively administered diet questionnaires are necessary to confirm these findings.
Level Of Evidence:
4 Laryngoscope, 133:3575-3581, 2023.
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