[Aerosol therapy in treatment of childhood otitis media with effusion].
OBJECTIVE
We address the efficacy of aerosol therapy in the treatment of otitis media with effusion during childhood. We study audiometric recovery in comparison with other classic treatments.


METHODS
This is a retrospective analysis of 37 patients suffering from otitis media with effusion treated with aerosols. We analyze the pure tone audiometry gap results for the whole sample of patients. We also evaluate the characteristics of the group of patients that had previously required surgery and the group withdrawn from aerosol therapy for not responding.


RESULTS
Thirty seven patients with a mean age of 6.8 years met the inclusion criteria. Audiometric tests were performed at the beginning of the treatment and after one month, 3 months and finally 6-12 months. In audiometric terms, 76% of the patients achieved results similar to those obtained after surgery. Seven patients were withdrawn from treatment due to poor or no response to aerosol therapy or due to a lack of collaboration. Two patients developed complications not related to aerosol therapy (tympanic perforation and cholesteatoma pearl).


CONCLUSIONS
The efficacy of aerosol therapy is comparable to that obtained with classic treatments. We have found no differences in the outcomes obtained in the group previously treated with surgery. We found no indicators of poor response in those patients where the treatment failed.
Saga
Carlos
C
Servicio de Otorrinolaringología, Policlínica Guipúzcoa, San Sebastián, España. carlossaga@wanadoo.es
Altuna
Xabier
X
Algaba
Jesús
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000336:Aerosols; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies
D000336:Aerosols