Related Experiment Videos
Predictive value of an adherence test for acute otitis media
J Danino1, H Z Joachims, M Barak
1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rambam Medical Center and The Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.
Insights
An in vitro adherence test accurately predicts recurrent otitis media in children. High Streptococcus pneumoniae adherence to cells indicates a high risk for developing acute otitis media (AOM).
Area of Science:
- Microbiology
- Pediatrics
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Recurrent otitis media is a common childhood illness.
- Predicting which children are prone to otitis media is crucial for early intervention.
- Streptococcus pneumoniae is a primary causative agent of otitis media.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the predictive value of an in vitro adherence test for Streptococcus pneumoniae.
- To assess the long-term (5-year) development of otitis media based on initial adherence test results.
Main Methods:
- Nasopharyngeal cells from 56 children (with and without acute otitis media) were tested for adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae (capsular serotype 6).
- Adherence was measured microscopically and radioactively.
- Children were followed up for 5 years to record the incidence of otitis media.
Main Results:
- Children with acute otitis media showed significantly higher bacterial adherence than healthy children (p < 0.005).
- Four out of five healthy children with high adherence developed otitis media within 5 years.
- The test demonstrated a positive predictive value of 98.2% and a negative predictive value of 90.7%.
Conclusions:
- The in vitro adherence test for Streptococcus pneumoniae is a highly predictive tool for identifying children at risk of recurrent otitis media.
- This test can aid in early diagnosis and management strategies for otitis media in pediatric populations.
Abstract:
The predictive value of an in vitro adherence test of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae for the development of recurrent otitis media was calculated 5 years after the initial test. Nasopharyngeal cells from 56 children suffering from acute otitis media (AOM) and from healthy children were tested for adherence of a standard pneumococcal type (capsular serotype 6). The average adherence of the bacteria to epithelial cells from the group suffering from AOM was greater than the average adherence in the control group (p < 0.005), both when adherence was counted microscopically and radioactively. Subjects were followed up periodically over a 5-year period. Four out of 5 healthy children who had high mean adherence values experienced AOM during the 5 years, and 1 child classified as AOM-prone was found to be healthy. Based on the retrospective data, the positive predictive value of this test was 98.2%, and the negative predictive value was 90.7%.