title: Otitis media with effusion in children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Up to 80% of children have been affected by otitis media with effusion (OME) by the age of 4 years, but prevalence declines beyond 6 years of age. Non-purulent middle-ear infections can occur in children or adults after upper respiratory tract infection or acute otitis media. Half or more of cases resolve within 3 months and 95% within 1 year, but complications such as tympanic membrane perforation, tympanosclerosis, otorrhoea, and cholesteatoma can occur.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a systematic review and aimed to answer the following clinical questions: What are the effects of interventions to prevent otitis media with effusion in children? What are the effects of pharmacological, mechanical, and surgical interventions to treat otitis media with effusion in children? We searched: Medline, Embase, The Cochrane Library, and other important databases up to March 2010 (Clinical Evidence reviews are updated periodically; please check our website for the most up-to-date version of this review). We included harms alerts from relevant organisations such as the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the UK Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found one systematic review and one RCT that met our inclusion criteria. We performed a GRADE evaluation of the quality of evidence for interventions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this systematic review, we present information relating to the effectiveness and safety of the following interventions: adenoidectomy, antibiotics, antihistamines, autoinflation, bottle feeding, decongestants, exposure to other children, intranasal corticosteroids, mucolytics, oral corticosteroids, passive smoking, and ventilation tubes.
authors.affiliation: The University of Southampton, Southampton, UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Williamson
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D063371:Myringosclerosis; D014663:Nasal Decongestants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010033:Otitis Media; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D014663:Nasal Decongestants