Abstract
Context: Acute otitis media (AOM) is the most frequent diagnosis in the children visiting offices. The prolonged and recurrent episodes of AOM may lead to hearing impairment and delayed speech development, which will influence the child's performance at school. Aim: The aim of this study is to identify the risk factors of acute otitis media in preschool children attending ENT clinics at Al-jamhory Teaching Hospital in Mosul. Methods: To achieve this aim, a case control study design was adopted. The sample of the present study included 150 children (cases) who have been diagnosed by the responsible ENT specialist according to the otoscopic examination with another 150 children (controls) who were diagnosed not to have AOM. Period of data collection was from 1st of October 2011 to the 1st of April 2012. Results: The present study showed that the highest frequency of acute otitis media occurred in the age group 1-2 years 39 patients (26%), and more frequent AOM attacks occurred in males. Clinical presentation among the cases were fever, otalgia, otorrhea, irritability, loss of appetite, vomiting, diminished hearing, and few patients presented with tinnitus and vertigo. The significant risk factors for AOM were day care attendance, bottle feeding for the 1st 6 months of life, supine bottle feeding, pacifier use in the second 6 months of life, parental tobacco smoking, preterm baby, and allergy. No association was found between craniofacial anomaly and occurrence of AOM in the present study. Conclusion: Day care attendance, bottle feeding during the 1st 6 months of life, supine bottle feeding, pacifier use in the second 6 months of life, parental tobacco smoking, preterm baby, and allergy were found to be a significant risk factors for AOM among study population. Recommendation: Additional studies on potential measures to prevent AOM through the reduction of risk factors are needed..
Highlights
Otitis media is an irritation of the middle ear cleft, without reference to aetiology or pathogenesis
The aim of this study is to evaluate the main risk factors of acute otitis media in preschool children attending ENT clinic at Al-jamhory Teaching Hospital in Mosul
This study revealed that the highest frequency of acute otitis media (AOM) was found in the age group 1-2 years [39 patients (26%)] followed by age group 2-3 years [34 patients (22.7%)] and the lowest frequency of AOM was observed in the age group 4-5 years [12 patients (8%)]
Summary
Otitis media is an irritation of the middle ear cleft, without reference to aetiology or pathogenesis. The clinical range may expand from a benign, self-limiting state to a expanded and sometimes complicated illness. In industrialised countries serious complications are rare, the burden of acute otitis media (AOM) is large, with impaired quality of life and high direct and indirect socio-economic costs. Otitis media primary described by Hippocrates in 450 BC, this illness continues to present one of the more troublesome health troubles of Infancy and childhood.[1]. Acute otitis media is one of the most widespread communicable diseases occurring during childhood. Prolonged and recurrent attacks of AOM may lead to hearing impairment and late speech development, which will influence the child's later performance at school. Prolonged and recurrent attacks of AOM may lead to hearing impairment and late speech development, which will influence the child's later performance at school. 2
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