Use of hydrogen peroxide to clear blocked ventilation tubes

Blocked tympanostomy tubes re-create the problem for which they were initially inserted. Hydrogen peroxide offers a noninvasive alternative to extracting the blocked tube and inserting a new tube. In this article we present the results of a long-term retrospective study of 95 patients (113 ears) who had occluded ventilation tubes following myringotomy. An 85% rate of success in opening the clogged tube with hydrogen peroxide is documented. The ototoxicity of the treatment is also examined. Ninety-nine percent of the patients showed no immediate change in bone conduction thresholds following the use of hydrogen peroxide. We have concluded that hydrogen peroxide is a convenient, noninvasive, and inexpensive treatment for blocked ventilation tubes.