QUALITY OF LIFE MEASUREMENTS FOR PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC SUPPURATIVE OTITIS MEDIA IN A TERTIARY CARE CENTRE

Abstract

Background: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is characterized by a persistent chronic otorrhoea from a perforated tympanic membrane and leads to many clinical presentations that include profuse mucopurulent, non-odorous discharge, deafness, tinnitus, depression, anxiety, and social withdrawal. Such clinical manifestations cause a multidimensional decline in Health-related quality of life HR-QOL including (familial, social, psychological, physical, and functional). Methods: In the current study, we administered a prevalidated tool and assessed the quality of life measurements for 54 patients with CSOM in a Tertiary Care Centre from Kashmir a northern region of India. Results: The majority of subjects (~65%) were in the age group of 18-30 years. Males (57%) and rural inhabitants showed a slight predominance (~56% and 59%%). We found that individuals with CSOM present reduced HR-QOL measures. The majority of subjects reported that, ear symptoms were a cause of reduced quality of life in a sizable number of cases with CSOM. We also observed that CSOM affected the routine cleanliness schedules of the patients. Most of the subjects need therapeutic intervention for treating CSOM more than once in the last 6 months. Conclusion: Given the paucity of data in theeld more replicative studies are warranted to have a better understanding of the reduced HR-QOL of patients with CSOM and its use as an outcome measure for therapeutic interventions.