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OBJECTIVES
The objectives of the guideline are (1) to emphasize the requisites of diagnosis of otitis media
with effusion; (2) to evaluate current diagnostic techniques; and (3) to describe treatment
2
options.
LITERATURE SEARCH
This guideline is mainly based on the 1997 Philippine Society of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck
Surgery Clinical Practice Guidelines and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American
Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) and American Academy of Otolaryngology- Head and
Neck Surgery (AAO-HNS) Subcommittee on Management on Otitis Media with Effusion Practice
Guideline and supplemented by additional research on the topic. The literature search strategy
used MEDLINE, Cochrane Database, National Library of Medicine’s PubMed database and
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) Evidence Report and Technology
Assessment were searched using the keyword otitis media, exploded to include otitis media with
effusion with the subheadings regarding prevalence, diagnosis, and therapy. The search was
limited to articles involving humans and those published in English in the last fifteen years. The
search yielded 4020 articles (4013 PUBMED and 7 cochrane). Thirty (30) abstracts were chosen
and results were further assessed for relevance. Full text articles were obtained when possible.
The chosen articles were divided as follows:
Meta-analysis 7
Randomized controlled trials 7
Non-randomized controlled study 10
Descriptive study 1
Committee report 2
Clinical Practice Guidelines 4
DEFINITION
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is defined as the presence of fluid in the middle ear with intact
tympanic membrane without signs or symptoms of acute infection. The following were
considered synonymous and were partly taken from the work of Lim (1983): glue ear, non-
suppurative otitis media, serous otitis media, mucoid otitis media, catarrhal otitis media, secretory
otitis media, aerotitis with effusion. OME is differentiated from acute otitis media, which is defined
as an infection of the middle ear with acute onset of signs and symptoms of middle ear
inflammation. Under the ICD-10 classification, the diagnosis of OME will fall under Classification
1,3,4
H65 (Nonsuppurative otitis media) and its subclassifications.
PREVALENCE
Approximately 90% of children (80% of individual ears) have OME at some time before school
age, most often between ages 6 months and 4 years. In the first year of life, >50% of children will
experience OME, increasing to >60% by 2 years. Many episodes resolve spontaneously within 3
months, but approximately 30-40% of children have recurrent OME, and 5% to 10% of episodes
1
last 1 year or longer.
In the Philippines, no published data on prevalence of OME is available at this time. Multicenter
studies are therefore recommended to address this issue.
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RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE DIAGNOSIS OF OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION
Grade A Recommendation
Pneumatic otoscopy when validated by myringotomy, yielded (1) a sensitivity of 85-90% and
a specificity of 70-79% (Kaleida and Stool, 1992); and (2) a positive predictive value of 91%
and a negative predictive value of 84% (Toner and Mains 1990).
In the AAFP, AAP and AAO-HNS guideline, pneumatic otoscopy is recommended for
assessment of the middle ear because it combines visualization of the tympanic membrane
1
(otoscopy) with a test of membrane mobility (pneumatic otoscopy).
On pneumatic otoscopy, the following maybe seen through an intact tympanic membrane: (1)
air-fluid level, and/ or (2) air bubbles (3) limited or absent mobility of the tympanic membrane
3
maybe demonstrated.
Grade A Recommendation
This test is particularly useful in small children whose external auditory canals may be too
small or too collapsible to permit adequate visualization of the tympanic membrane. In those
<7 months of age, tympanometry is unreliable because of excessive compliance of the
1,15
external auditory canal.
Grade B Recommendation
Recent randomized trials suggest no impact on children with OME who are not at risk as
identified by screening or surveillance.
Hearing testing is recommended when OME persists for 3 months or longer or at any time
that language delay, learning problems, or a significant hearing loss is suspected. Conductive
hearing loss often accompanies OME, and may adversely affect binaural processing, sound
5, 6, 7
localization, and speech perception in noise.
However, the panel agrees that if the patient was brought in for hearing loss, an initial hearing
test should be done.
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RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE TREATMENT OF OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION
1. A child with OME who is not at risk should be managed with watchful waiting for three
months from the date of effusion onset (if known) or diagnosis (if onset is unknown).
Grade B recommendation
This recommendation is based on the self-limited nature of most OME, which has been well
documented in cohort studies and in control groups of randomized trials. Around 75% to 90%
of residual OME after an AOM episode resolves spontaneously by 3 months.
A child at risk is one who is at increased risk for developmental difficulties (delay or disorder)
because of sensory, physical, cognitive, or behavioral factors listed in Table 1. These factors
are not caused by OME but can make the child less tolerant of hearing loss or vestibular
problems secondary to middle-ear effusion. In contrast the child with OME who is not at risk
is otherwise healthy and does not have any of the factors.
1
TABLE 1. Risk Factors for Developmental Difficulties*
Permanent hearing loss independent of otitis media with effusion
Suspected or diagnosed speech and language delay or disorder
Autism-spectrum disorder and other pervasive developmental disorders
Syndromes (eg, Down) or craniofacial disorders that include cognitive, speech, and
language delays
*Sensory, physical, cognitive, or behavioral factors that place children who have otitis media with effusion at
increased risk for developmental difficulties (delay or disorder).
At the discretion of the clinician, this 3-month period of watchful waiting may include interval
visits at which OME is monitored by using pneumatic otoscopy, tympanometry, or both.
Factors to consider in determining the optimal interval(s) for follow-up include clinical
judgment, parental comfort level, unique characteristics of the child and/or his environment,
access to a health care system, and hearing levels (HLs) if known. After documented
1, 8, 9
resolution of OME in all affected ears, additional follow-up is unnecessary.
2. Children with persistent OME who are not at risk should be re-examined at three- to
six- month intervals until this is no longer present.
Grade C Recommendation
The risks of continued observation of children with OME must be balanced against the risks
of surgery. Children with persistent OME examined regularly at 3- to 6-month intervals, or
sooner if OME-related symptoms develop, are most likely at low risk for physical, behavioral,
1, 6
or developmental sequelae of OME.
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2.1. Antimicrobials and corticosteroids do not have long-term efficacy and are not
recommended for routine management.
Grade A recommendation
Therapy for OME is appropriate only if persistent and clinically significant benefits
can be achieved beyond spontaneous resolution. Long-term benefits of antimicrobial
therapy for OME are not proven despite a modest short-term benefit for 2 to 8 weeks
in randomized trials.
One meta-analysis showed no benefit for oral steroid versus placebo within 2 weeks
but did show a short-term benefit for oral steroid plus antimicrobial versus
antimicrobial alone in 1 of 3 children treated. This benefit became nonsignificant after
10
several weeks in a prior meta-analysis and in a large, randomized trial.
2.2. Antihistamines and decongestants are ineffective for OME and are not
recommended for treatment.
Grade A recommendation
Other non-surgical therapies that are discussed in the OME literature include
autoinflation of the Eustachian tube, oral or intratympanic use of mucolytics, and
systemic use of pharmacologic agents other than antimicrobials, steroids, and
antihistamine-decongestants. Insufficient data exist for any of these therapies to be
1
recommended in treating OME.
However, the panel agrees that for patients with concomitant diseases which
warrants the use of antihistamines and decongestants (i.e. allergic rhinitis), these
medications may be used for the said diseases, and not for OME.
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3. Myringotomy and ventilation tube insertion is the preferred initial procedure when
OME persists after 3 months AND is associated with significant hearing loss.
Grade B Recommendation
Surgical candidacy for OME largely depends on hearing status, associated symptoms, the
child’s developmental risk and the anticipated chance of timely spontaneous resolution of the
effusion. Candidates for surgery include children with OME lasting 3 months or longer with
persistent hearing loss or other signs and symptoms, recurrent or persistent OME in children
at risk regardless of hearing status, and OME and structural damage to the tympanic
membrane or middle ear. Ultimately, the recommendation for surgery must be individualized
based on consensus between the otolaryngologist and parent or caregiver that particular
child would benefit from intervention. Children with OME of any duration who are at risk are
1,17
candidates for earlier surgery.
In the study of Paradise et al., hearing levels were defined with the use of data on auditory
brain-stem response in infants younger than 6 months and pure-tone data for children 6
months or older. On the basis of the data obtained in children who had no effusion, abnormal
results were defines as an auditory brain-stem response threshold more than 20 dB above
the normal hearing level or a pure-tone average more than 25 dB hearing level up to the age
of 10 months, more than 20 dB hearing level from 10-23 months, and more than 15 dB
12
hearing level from the age of 2 years onwards.
Tympanostomy tubes are recommended for initial surgery because randomized trials show a
mean of 62% relative decrease in effusion prevalence and an absolute decrease of 128
13,19
effusion days per child during the next year.
27
References
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21. Coyte PC, Croxford R, McIsaac W, Feldman W, Friedberg J. The role of adjuvant
adenoidectomy and tonsillectomy in the outcome of insertion of tympanostomy tubes. N
Engl J Med. 2001;344:1188–1195
22. Rovers MM, Straatman H, Ingels K, van der Wilt GJ, van den Broek P, Zielhuis GA. The
effect of short-term ventilation tubes versus watchful waiting on hearing in young children
with persistent otitis media with effusion: a randomized trial. Ear Hear. 2001;22:191–199
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ALGORITHM FOR THE DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT OF OTITIS MEDIA WITH EFFUSION
IN CHILDREN 2 MONTHS TO 12 YEARS OF AGE
Y
Manage the child at risk more Observe for 3 months without
aggressively than the otherwise antibiotics or other medications.
healthy child During this observation period,
evaluate after 3 months of diagnosis
Hearing test
N
Y Clarify follow-up
Resolved? specifics with parents
Hearing loss?
Y Hearing test
End
Myringotomy with VT
insertion
Y Hearing
loss?
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