Abstract

The present study was conducted for assessing the incidence and clinical presentation of acute otitis media in children in a tertiary care centre. Materials & methods: A total of 200 children were enrolled. Complete demographic details of all the subjects were obtained. Information on basic demographics, medical history, and pneumococcal vaccination history was collected. Data on the frequency of suspected, probable and confirmed AOM, severity and complications of any AOM episodes, and AOM symptoms were collected through retrospective review of medical charts and prospective follow-up using physician and parental reports. Clinical profile was recorded separately. All the results were recorded and analysed using SPSS software. Results: Out of these 200 children, acute otitis media was present in 19 percent of the patients. Out of 38 patients with presence of otitis media, 16 patients belonged to the age group of 13 to 15 years. There were 23 girls and 15 boys. Passive smoking exposure was seen in 12 patients. History of allergies was present in 11 patients. Pain, malaise, fever, otalgia, erythema of the tympanic membrane and middle ear effusion was present in 65.79 percent, 68.42 percent, 55.26 percent, 60.53 percent, 57.89 percent and 52.63 percent of the patients respectively. Conclusion: Otitis media is a global problem. Also, there is lack of reporting and different incidences across many different geographical regions.

Description