title: Screening for otitis media with effusion to measure its prevalence in Chinese children in Hong Kong.
abstract: In an attempt to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of otitis media with effusion (OME) in the Hong Kong community, and to compare the characteristics of the disease here with OME as it is described in the Western literature, we screened more than 6,000 6- and 7-year-old children with both clinical and audiologic examinations. The initial positive screening rate was 5.3%. Upon further evaluation, we determined that the overall prevalence of persistent OME was 2.2%. We found that the disease pattern and natural history of persistent OME in Hong Kong children are similar to those reported in the Western literature.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Prince of Wales Hospital, Chinese University of Hong Kong.
authors.forename: M C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Yue
authors.forename: P K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: P S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: van Hasselt
mesh_terms: D000158:Acoustic Impedance Tests; D001299:Audiometry; D002648:Child; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006723:Hong Kong / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D010808:Physical Examination; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous