title: Otitis media with effusion: benefits and harms of strategies in use for treatment and prevention.
abstract: Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common clinical condition that is associated with hearing loss. It can be diagnosed at least once in approximately 80% of preschool children: 30-40% of them have recurrent episodes, and 5-10% have chronic disease. OME, in recurrent and persistent cases, might significantly delay or impair communication skills, resulting in behavioral and educational difficulties. Several therapeutic approaches have been used to avoid these problems. Most, however, have not been adequately studied, and no definitive conclusions can be drawn. Official guidelines do not recommend the use of decongestants, antihistamines, steroids, or antibiotics. The data are too scanty to assess other interventions, although autoinflation, because it incurs neither cost nor adverse events, deserves attention. Surgical procedures (i.e., tympanostomy tube insertion and adenoidectomy as an adjuvant) can be useful in some cases. This review evaluates all the current OME treatments and preventive measures, including their possible adverse events.
authors: a Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Principi
authors: a Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy.
authors: Paola
authors: P
authors: Marchisio
authors: a Pediatric Highly Intensive Care Unit, Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation , Università degli Studi di Milano, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico , Milan , Italy.
authors: Susanna
authors: S
authors: Esposito
mesh_terms: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000009:adverse effects; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents
keywords: Acute otitis media; adenoidectomy; antibiotics; autoinflation; otitis media with effusion; tympanostomy tube placement