Excess cerumen: failure rate of black and Indian preschool children from Durban on the Middle Ear Screening Protocol (MESP).
The aim of the study was to examine the failure rate of Black and Indian subjects within the excessive cerumen category of the Middle Ear Screening Protocol (MESP). The subjects included four to five year old Black and Indian children attending pre-schools in the Durban Central Region. Thus, a sample of 728 subjects (average age = 4.6 years), 312 Black (135 male and 180 female) and 413 Indian (223 male and 190 female) was screened using referral criteria based on a Middle Ear Screening Protocol (MESP). The results of the study indicated that a significant percentage of Black (38.4%) and Indian (49.9%) subjects failed, due to excessive cerumen. These results are discussed with reference to the literature. A cerumen management program has been outlined and recommended to be implemented in preschools in South Africa.
Bhoola
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Department of Communication Pathology, University of Pretoria.
Hugo
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D044383:Black People; D002571:Cerumen / Q000378:metabolism*; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000209:etiology; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D044465:White People