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. 2008 Dec;1(4):201-5.
doi: 10.3342/ceo.2008.1.4.201. Epub 2008 Dec 26.

Management for the children with otitis media with effusion in the tertiary hospital

Yun-Hoon Choung  1 , You Ree Shin, Seong Jun Choi, Keehyun Park, Hun Yi Park, Jong Bin Lee, Dong Hee Han, Hison Kahng
Affiliations

Management for the children with otitis media with effusion in the tertiary hospital

Yun-Hoon Choung et al. Clin Exp Otorhinolaryngol. 2008 Dec.

Abstract

Objectives: Recently, new evidence-based recommendations have been introduced for diagnosing and managing otitis media with effusion (OME) in children. However, there are some difficulties to follow the general guidelines in the tertiary hospitals. The purpose is to evaluate the efficiency of antibiotics or antihistamines for treatment of children with OME in the tertiary hospital with a randomized prospective clinical study.

Methods: Eighty-four children with OME who had been diagnosed in the tertiary hospital were randomized to receive 5 different medications for 2 weeks. We prescribed antibiotics (amoxicillin-clavulanate syrup) in Group I (n=16), antibiotics/steroids (prednisolone) in Group II (n=18), antibiotics/antihistamines (ebastine) in Group III (n=15), antibiotics/steroids/antihistamines in Group IV (n=17), and mucolytics (ivy leaf extract) in Group V (n=17) for control. We followed-up children every 2 weeks and evaluated the state of OME at 3 months.

Results: Thirty six (42.9%) of 84 children were resolved within average 6.9 weeks after the treatments. Thirty-six (42.9%) were treated with ventilation tube insertion and 12 patients (14.3%) were observed. There was no difference in the resolution rates of OME among the five different protocols (P>0.05). There was no difference in the resolution rates among groups who used steroids, antihistamines, steroids and antihistamines, or other medications to manage 42 children with allergies (P>0.05).

Conclusion: In the tertiary hospital, the cure rate of children with OME was not as high as well-known, and antibiotics or anti-allergic medications were not more effective than control. We may, therefore, need any other guidelines which are different from the previous evidence-based recommendations, including early operation in the tertiary hospitals.

Keywords: Antibiotics; Antihistamines; Otitis media with effusion; Steroids; Treatment.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The management of OME in children visiting the tertiary hospital.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
The management of OME in children visiting the tertiary hospital according to five different protocols. There was no difference in the resolution rates of OME among the groups (chi-square test, P>0.05).
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The management of OME according to allergy. (A) Allergic symptoms or signs did not affect the progress of OME (chi-square test, P>0.05). (B) There was no difference in the resolution rate of OME among groups, using steroids (group II), antihistamines (group III), steroids and antihistamines (group IV), or other drugs (group I and V) to manage the children showing allergic symptoms or signs (linear by linear association of chi-square test, P>0.05).
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The management of OME according to the laterality. Children with unilateral OME showed better resolution rate than bilateral (chi-square test, P=0.000).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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