title: Impedance screening for otitis media with effusion in Nigerian children.
abstract: Tympanometry and acoustic reflex tests performed on 431 school children aged five to six years showed that eight per cent of the ears screened had type B or type C tympanograms suggestive of otitis media with effusion (1.2 per cent type B, and 6.8 per cent type C). Preliminary otoscopy revealed tympanic membrane appearances consistent with middle ear effusion in a correspondingly low proportion of ears (7.6 per cent), whilst acoustic reflex screening at 105 dB for three frequencies (0.5, 1 and 2 kHz) showed absent reflexes at one or more frequencies in 8.1 per cent of the ears. The findings indicate a relatively low prevalence of otitis media with effusion in children in Nigeria. Possible contributory factors are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Dept. of Surgery, College of Medical Sciences, University of Benin, Nigeria.
authors.forename: F O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Ogisi
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening; D009549:Nigeria; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012018:Reflex / Q000502:physiology; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D000159:Vestibulocochlear Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology