The results of two years operation of the visiting specialist service to the Waikato mobile ear clinic.
OBJECTIVE
To review the function and results of the Health Waikato mobile ear clinic service 1993-4.


METHODS
Data were collected on all children reviewed at the fortnightly specialist clinics conducted in the mobile ear clinics during 1993-4. An overall pathological assessment of the middle ear and eardrum was made for each ear.


RESULTS
Of the 467 children examined 311 children were wait listed for elective surgery. Pathology ranged from recurrent acute otitis media to cholesteatoma. Large numbers of children were found with atelectasis of the tympanic membrane. Children as young as seven years of age required modified radical mastoidectomy for treatment of otorrhea due to cholesteatoma.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this survey show the mobile ear clinic service requires a large amount of resources to operate. The mobile ear clinic generates a large operative workload which creates an imbalance between resources devoted to finding the disease and those devoted to treating it. Recommendations include a tighter integration between the mobile ear clinic and the hospital, and appropriate allocation of treatment services to treat the children identified by the service.
D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002558:Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002662:Child Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000601:surgery; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures; D005260:Female; D015276:Health Care Rationing; D006295:Health Resources; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000601:surgery; D008952:Mobile Health Units / Q000458:organization & administration; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000601:surgery; D012008:Recurrence; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D014850:Waiting Lists