title: General and disease-specific quality of life in patients with chronic suppurative otitis media--a prospective study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is frequently associated with symptoms of inflammation like discharge from the ear or pain. In many cases, patients suffer from hearing loss causing communication problems and social withdrawal. The objective of this work was to collect prospective audiological data and data on general and disease-specific quality of life with validated quality of life measurement instruments to assess the impact of the disease on health-related quality of life (HR-QOL).
  
  
  METHODS
  121 patients were included in the study. Patients were clinically examined in the hospital before and 6 months after surgery including audiological testing. They filled in the quality of life questionnaires SF-36 and Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test 15 (COMOT-15) pre-operatively and 6 and 12 months post-operatively, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete data records from 90 patients were available for statistical analysis. Disease-specific HR-QOL in patients with CSOM improved after tympanoplasty in all the scales of the COMOT-15. There was no difference in HR-QOL assessment between patients with mesotympanic respectively epitympanic CSOM. However, we did find the outcome to be worse in patients who received revision surgery compared with those receiving primary surgery. Audiometric findings correlated very well with the subscale hearing function from the COMOT-15 questionnaire. General HR-QOL measured with the SF-36 was not significantly changed by tympanoplasty.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tympanoplasty did lead to a significant improvement of disease-specific HR-QOL in patients with CSOM while general HR-QOL did not change. Very well correlations were found between the subscale hearing function from the COMOT-15 questionnaire and audiological findings. Revision surgery seems to be a predictor for a worse outcome.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Medical Center of the University of Heidelberg, Im Neuenheimer Feld 400, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. ingo.baumann@med.uni-heidelberg.de
authors.forename: Ingo
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Bianca
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gerendas
authors.forename: Peter K
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Plinkert
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Praetorius
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany; D034381:Hearing Loss / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery; D006320:Hearing Tests; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010035:Otitis Media, Suppurative / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology / Q000601:surgery*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D018434:Sickness Impact Profile; D012934:Social Isolation / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty; D055815:Young Adult