BACKGROUND Middle ear disease (otitis media) is common and frequently severe in Australian Aboriginal children. There have not been any recent large-scale surveys using clear definitions and a standardised middle ear assessment. The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of middle ear disease (otitis media) in a high-risk population of young Aboriginal children from remote communities...

Hyperplasia of the middle ear mucosa contributes to the sequelae of acute otitis media. Understanding the signal transduction pathways that mediate hyperplasia could lead to the development of new therapeutic interventions for this disease and its sequelae. Endotoxin derived from bacteria involved in middle ear infection can contribute to the hyperplastic response. The p38 mitogen-activated pro...

This study was performed to investigate polymerase chain reaction-based detection of bacterial DNA in middle ear fluid and assess the correlation between the PCR-positive rate with several factors associated with middle ear effusion. The purpose was to gain a further understanding of bacterial infection as a major cause of otitis media with effusion. Of the 278 specimens of middle ear fluid, 39...

OBJECTIVE To report the incidence and recurrence of acute otitis media (AOM) in Taiwan's pediatric population. METHODS Information from children (aged <= 12 years) with a diagnosis of AOM was retrieved from the 2006 National Healthcare Insurance claims database. We calculated the cumulative incidence rate and the incidence density rate of recurrent AOM within one year after the initial diagno...

BACKGROUND After the implementation of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), the marked shift in Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pnc) serotype distribution led to a modification in pneumococcal antibiotic susceptibility. In 2011, the pattern of antibiotic prescription in France for acute otitis media in infants was greatly modified, with decreased use of third-generation cephalosporins and amoxicil...

Introduction Despite the advent of antibiotics and immunizations in the last century, complications of otitis media remain quite frequent, have high morbidity and mortality rates, and pose a challenge to the otorhinolaryngologist. Objective To establish the annual incidence of intratemporal complications of otitis media and prospectively evaluate patients via an analysis of epidemiologic and cl...

Otitis media with effusion (OME), also called glue ear, is characterised by a collection of fluid in the middle-ear cleft. there is chronic inflammation but without signs of acute inflammation. OME is the most common cause of hearing impairment (and the most common reason for elective surgery) in childhood, where it usually follows an episode of acute otitis media (AOM). It is uncommon in adult...

A patient evaluated for otitis media had a bizarre tympanogram with a "sawtooth" configuration. Acute otitis media with a pinpoint perforation was diagnosed. After resolution of the acute infection, a 2-mm diameter perforation remained and the presence of a patulous eustachian tube was documented. Tympanoplasty was eventually required, after which a normal tympanogram was recorded. Our interpre...

Nasopharyngeal transmission of Streptococcus pneumoniae was evaluated among 23 siblings with acute otitis media (AOM). Restriction fragment length polymorphism revealed that the nasopharyngeal strains were identical between siblings in 12 of 13 clusters of AOM experienced in 11 families. This study demonstrated person-to-person transmission of S. pneumoniae, especially drug-resistant strains, a...

Purpose To describe a case series of children treated with a naturopathic protocol for acute otitis media (AOM). Acute otitis media places a large burden on pediatric populations. Antibiotics provide modest benefits; however, these benefits must be weighed against the risk of adverse events and antibiotic resistance. Current American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines includes “watchful waiting”:...