Presentation of early otitis media in 'Top End' Aboriginal infants.
Otitis media is highly prevalent in Aboriginal Australians. This study found that otitis media was universal in 41 Aboriginal infants from the north of the Northern Territory, who were examined monthly from birth; more than one-third had experienced eardrum perforation. The earliest age at perforation was 44 days and the mean duration was 44.3 days. All subjects had acute otitis media or otitis media with effusion before perforation and after drum healing. This study, therefore, recommends that individual medical treatment should not be postponed until drum perforation occurs because otitis media develops first behind an intact drum and then may progress to perforation.
Boswell
J
J
Department of Speech Pathology, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide.
D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D015876:Northern Territory / Q000453:epidemiology; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000208:ethnology*; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies