title: Adenoidectomy and tympanostomy tubes in the management of otitis media.
abstract: Otitis media is one of the most common childhood infections and the most frequent cause for antibiotic prescriptions in children. As respiratory infections are also associated with childhood asthma, children with recurrent otitis media or with persistent middle-ear effusion are also at an increased risk for developing asthma, which should be appreciated when a child with middle-ear disease is evaluated. The first choice of surgery in chronic middle-ear inflammatory disease is the insertion of tympanostomy tubes. It is warranted when the middle-ear effusion has lasted for 3 or more months. When chronic adenoid infection is suspected, adenoidectomy may be beneficial in treating otitis media in children who are older than 4 years of age and who have previously undergone tympanostomy-tube insertion.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, PO Box 220, Helsinki University Central Hospital, 00290 Helsinki, Finland. petri.mattila@hus.fi
authors.forename: Petri S
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Mattila
mesh_terms: D000233:Adenoidectomy; D001249:Asthma / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D006801:Humans; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors