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European Archives of Paediatric... Aug 2023This study aims to evaluate whether there is a correlation between otitis and dental malocclusions.
PURPOSE
This study aims to evaluate whether there is a correlation between otitis and dental malocclusions.
METHODS
Electronic databases were searched for observational studies published until July 2021 without language or time restrictions.
PROSPERO
CRD42021270760. Observational studies on children with and without OM and/or malocclusion were included. After removing duplicates and excluding not-eligible articles, two reviewers screened relevant articles independently. Two reviewers independently extracted data and assessed data quality and validity through the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) quality assessment tool for non-randomized studies.
RESULTS
Five studies met the selection inclusion criteria and were included in the studies for a total of 499 patients. Three studies investigated the relationship between malocclusion and otitis media, while the remaining two studies analyzed the inverse relationship and one of them considered eustachian tube dysfunction as a proxy of OM. An association between malocclusion and otitis media and vice versa emerged, although with relevant limitations.
CONCLUSION
There is some evidence that there is an association between otitis and malocclusion; however, it is not yet possible to establish a definitive correlation.
Topics: Humans; Child; Otitis Media; Malocclusion
PubMed: 37338742
DOI: 10.1007/s40368-023-00807-0 -
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and... Apr 2023Ear ailments in children are a major public health problem in India. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to quantitatively pool the epidemiologic evidence on...
Ear ailments in children are a major public health problem in India. This systematic review and meta-analysis aim to quantitatively pool the epidemiologic evidence on the prevalence of all forms of otitis media in children of India. In this review PRISMA guidelines (preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analysis) were followed. We did extensive literature search in PubMed, Embase, Cinahl and Web of Science to identify relevant community based cross sectional studies that investigated the prevalence of otitis media in children of India. We used STATA version 16.0 software to perform meta-analysis. Six studies reporting the prevalence of otitis media in children were included in the final analysis. Based on the results of the random-effects sub-group meta-analysis model, the pooled estimated prevalence of Chronic suppurative otitis media in children of India was 3.78% (95% CI 2.72-4.84), Otitis media with effusion was found to be 2.68% (95% CI 1.80, 3.55) and Acute suppurative otitis media to be 0.55 (95% CI 0.32, 0.78). This review suggests substantial otitis media related disease burden in children of India. But due to lack of epidemiological studies, the actual disease burden remains concealed. It is imperative to promote more epidemiological studies that will aid policy makers in recommendation of preventive, diagnostic and treatment strategies for this disease.
PubMed: 37206774
DOI: 10.1007/s12070-022-03285-w -
BMC Health Services Research Apr 2023Ear and hearing care programs are critical to early detection and management of otitis media (or middle ear disease). Otitis media and associated hearing loss... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Ear and hearing care programs are critical to early detection and management of otitis media (or middle ear disease). Otitis media and associated hearing loss disproportionately impacts First Nations children. This affects speech and language development, social and cognitive development and, in turn, education and life outcomes. This scoping review aimed to better understand how ear and hearing care programs for First Nations children in high-income colonial-settler countries aimed to reduce the burden of otitis media and increase equitable access to care. Specifically, the review aimed to chart program strategies, map the focus of each program against 4 parts of a care pathway (prevention, detection, diagnosis/management, rehabilitation), and to identify the factors that indicated the longer-term sustainability and success of programs.
METHOD
A database search was conducted in March 2021 using Medline, Embase, Global Health, APA PsycInfo, CINAHL, Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and Academic Search Premier. Programs were eligible or inclusion if they had either been developed or run at any time between January 2010 to March 2021. Search terms encompassed terms such as First Nations children, ear and hearing care, and health programs, initiatives, campaigns, and services.
RESULTS
Twenty-seven articles met the criteria to be included in the review and described a total of twenty-one ear and hearing care programs. Programs employed strategies to: (i) connect patients to specialist services, (ii) improve cultural safety of services, and (iii) increase access to ear and hearing care services. However, program evaluation measures were limited to outputs or the evaluation of service-level outcome, rather than patient-based outcomes. Factors which contributed to program sustainability included funding and community involvement although these were limited in many cases.
CONCLUSION
The result of this study highlighted that programs primarily operate at two points along the care pathway-detection and diagnosis/management, presumably where the greatest need lies. Targeted strategies were used to address these, some which were limited in their approach. The success of many programs are evaluated as outputs, and many programs rely on funding sources which can potentially limit longer-term sustainability. Finally, the involvement of First Nations people and communities typically only occurred during implementation rather than across the development of the program. Future programs should be embedded within a connected system of care and tied to existing policies and funding streams to ensure long term viability. Programs should be governed and evaluated by First Nations communities to further ensure programs are sustainable and are designed to meet community needs.
Topics: Child; Humans; Hearing Loss; Indigenous Peoples; Time Factors; Otitis Media; Healthcare Disparities; Developed Countries; Health Services Accessibility; Culturally Competent Care
PubMed: 37076841
DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09338-2 -
The Cochrane Database of Systematic... Feb 2023Ménière's disease is a condition that causes recurrent episodes of vertigo, associated with hearing loss and tinnitus. It is often treated with medication, but... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Ménière's disease is a condition that causes recurrent episodes of vertigo, associated with hearing loss and tinnitus. It is often treated with medication, but different interventions are sometimes used. Positive pressure therapy is a treatment that creates small pressure pulses, generated by a pump that is attached to tubing placed in the ear canal. It is typically used for a few minutes, several times per day. The underlying cause of Ménière's disease is unknown, as is the way in which this treatment may work. The efficacy of this intervention at preventing vertigo attacks, and their associated symptoms, is currently unclear.
OBJECTIVES
To evaluate the benefits and harms of positive pressure therapy versus placebo or no treatment in people with Ménière's disease.
SEARCH METHODS
The Cochrane ENT Information Specialist searched the Cochrane ENT Register; CENTRAL; Ovid MEDLINE; Ovid Embase; Web of Science; ClinicalTrials.gov; ICTRP and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the search was 14 September 2022.
SELECTION CRITERIA
We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and quasi-RCTs in adults with a diagnosis of Ménière's disease comparing positive pressure therapy with either placebo or no treatment. We excluded studies with follow-up of less than three months. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: We used standard Cochrane methods. Our primary outcomes were: 1) improvement in vertigo (assessed as a dichotomous outcome - improved or not improved), 2) change in vertigo (assessed as a continuous outcome, with a score on a numerical scale) and 3) serious adverse events. Our secondary outcomes were: 4) disease-specific health-related quality of life, 5) change in hearing, 6) change in tinnitus and 7) other adverse effects. We considered outcomes reported at three time points: 3 to < 6 months, 6 to ≤ 12 months and > 12 months. We used GRADE to assess the certainty of evidence for each outcome. MAIN RESULTS: We included three studies with a total of 238 participants, all of which compared positive pressure using the Meniett device to sham treatment. The duration of follow-up was a maximum of four months. Improvement in vertigo A single study assessed whether participants had an improvement in the frequency of their vertigo whilst using positive pressure therapy, therefore we are unable to draw meaningful conclusions from the results. Change in vertigo Only one study reported on the change in vertigo symptoms using a global score (at 3 to < 6 months), so we are again unable to draw meaningful conclusions from the numerical results. All three studies reported on the change in the frequency of vertigo. The summary effect showed that people receiving positive pressure therapy had, on average, 0.84 fewer days per month affected by vertigo (95% confidence interval from 2.12 days fewer to 0.45 days more; 3 studies; 202 participants). However, the evidence on the change in vertigo frequency was of very low certainty, therefore there is great uncertainty in this estimate. Serious adverse events None of the included studies provided information on the number of people who experienced serious adverse events. It is unclear whether this is because no adverse events occurred, or whether they were not assessed and reported. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The evidence for positive pressure therapy for Ménière's disease is very uncertain. There are few RCTs that compare this intervention to placebo or no treatment, and the evidence that is currently available from these studies is of low or very low certainty. This means that we have very low confidence that the effects reported are accurate estimates of the true effect of these interventions. Consensus on the appropriate outcomes to measure in studies of Ménière's disease is needed (i.e. a core outcome set) in order to guide future studies in this area and enable meta-analyses of the results. This must include appropriate consideration of the potential harms of treatment, as well as the benefits.
Topics: Adult; Humans; Meniere Disease; Otitis Media, Suppurative; Physical Therapy Modalities; Tinnitus; Vertigo
PubMed: 36815713
DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD015248.pub2 -
Journal of Global Health Feb 2023A systematic review in 2019 found reductions in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of pneumococcal vaccine serotypes following pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV)...
The impact of the introduction of ten- or thirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccines on antimicrobial-resistant pneumococcal disease and carriage: A systematic literature review.
BACKGROUND
A systematic review in 2019 found reductions in antimicrobial resistance (AMR) of pneumococcal vaccine serotypes following pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction. However, few low- or middle-income countries were included as not many had introduced higher valent PCVs (PCV10 or PCV13). The aim of our review is to describe AMR rates in these samples following the introduction of PCV10 or PCV13.
METHODS
We conducted a systematic literature review of published papers that compared AMR for invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), otitis media (OM) and nasopharyngeal carriage (NPC) samples following introduction of PCV10 or PCV13 to the pre-PCV period. Included studies published from July 2017 to August 2020 had a post-licensure observational study design and reported on our defined outcomes: IPD, OM, NPC and other (sputum or mixed invasive and non-invasive pneumococcal) isolates from people of all ages. Rates of AMR in the pre- and post-period were extracted.
RESULTS
Data were extracted from 31 studies. Among IPD isolates, penicillin AMR rates following PCV10 or PCV13 introduction declined in 32% (n = 9/29) of included studies, increased in 34% (n = 10/29) and showed no change in 34% (n = 10/29). Cephalosporins AMR declined in 32% (n = 6/19) of studies, increased in 21% (n = 4/19) and showed no change in 47% (n = 9/19). Macrolides AMR declined in 33% (n = 4/12) of studies, increased in 50% (n = 6/12), and showed no change in 17% (n = 2/12). AMR to other antibiotics (including multidrug resistance) declined in 23% (n = 9/39) of studies, increased in 41% (n = 16/39) and showed no change in AMR in 36% (n = 14/39). There were no obvious differences between AMR; in setting which used PCV10 vs PCV13, according to time since PCV introduction or by World Bank income status of the respective country. The only study including OM isolates found no change in penicillin resistance. There were few studies on AMR in NPC (four studies), OM (one study) or other isolates (five studies). The results followed similar patterns to IPD isolates.
CONCLUSIONS
We observed considerable heterogeneity in the findings between and within studies, e.g. no evidence of reduction in amoxicillin AMR with an increase in macrolides AMR. Reasons for such diverse findings include the period covered by different studies and variation in other pressures towards AMR.
Topics: Humans; Infant; Vaccines, Conjugate; Pneumococcal Infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Pneumococcal Vaccines; Anti-Infective Agents; Serogroup; Anti-Bacterial Agents; Otitis Media; Observational Studies as Topic
PubMed: 36799235
DOI: 10.7189/jogh.13.05001 -
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and... Dec 2022Endoscopes have revolutionized the field of otology for the past two decades due to its minimally invasive technique and improved visualization. The advantage of...
Endoscopes have revolutionized the field of otology for the past two decades due to its minimally invasive technique and improved visualization. The advantage of endoscope during surgery for middle ear cholesteatoma both for diagnosing and aiding in removal of residual disease from the hidden areas and the resulting lower recurrence rates have been proven in the past by many authors. But the feasibility of totally endoscopic ear surgery and its surgical and patient related outcomes are yet to be explored in detail. We conducted this systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the surgical and patient related outcomes between totally endoscopic and microscopic technique in cases of acquired middle ear cholesteatoma. This meta-analysis has been conducted as per Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis guidelines. Search engines used to identify the eligible articles were Pubmed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Virtual Health Library databases. The studies that compared the outcomes of microscopic and endoscopic techniques in case of acquired middle ear cholesteatoma and with more than 10 patients were included. Outcomes like recurrence, residual disease, graft uptake rate, audiological outcome, conversion rate, pain score, surgery duration, complications and quality of life outcomes were compared.The quality of the included studies was assessed by Methodological Index for Non-randomized studies criteria in case of non-randomized studies and by means of Cochrane Risk of Bias Tool in case of randomized controlled studies. A random effects model was used to calculate pooled estimates. The ODDS ratio and 95% confidence interval were calculated. The heterogeneity among the studies was represented by the Q statistic and Higgins I statistic. The test for overall effect was calculated by Z test and a p value of < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. 11 studies were included in this meta-analysis. Out of 11 included studies, 4 were prospectively designed and 7 were retrospective studies. The overall effect showed recurrence rate (Z:2.69, P:0.007) was lower among endoscopic technique. Post-operative pain was less among the endoscopic technique and there was no difference between the groups with respect to surgical duration. Although endoscopic technique showed lower residual rate and post-operative vertigo with better graft success rate among the individual studies, the overall analysis showed that the difference was not statistically significant. Endoscope has been an invaluable tool in the cholesteatoma surgery over the past 20 years due to its excellent optics and minimally invasive technique. Evaluation of the present data available in the literature reveals that both the techniques have similar outcomes except for a definite advantage of endoscopic technique in reducing the recurrence and post-operative discomfort.
PubMed: 36742509
DOI: 10.1007/s12070-021-02869-2 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jan 2023Chronic otitis media (COM) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are two of the most common otolaryngological disorders. CRS and COM share pathophysiological mechanisms such... (Review)
Review
Chronic otitis media (COM) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) are two of the most common otolaryngological disorders. CRS and COM share pathophysiological mechanisms such as bacterial infection, biofilm, and the persistence of the obstruction state of ventilation routes. The purpose of this systematic review was to evaluate all available information on the association between COM and CRS. : The protocol of this investigation was registered on PROSPERO in November 2022. Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane databases were systematically searched according to the PRISMA statement. After the application of inclusion-exclusion criteria, four manuscripts with adequate relevance to this topic were included in the review. The study population consisted of 20,867 patients with a diagnosis of CRS, of whom 991 were also diagnosed with COM (4.75%). : The included studies have shown that CRS has become significantly associated with COMas: a global inflammatory process that involves the epithelium in both the middle ear and upper airway. The identification of a relationship between CRS and COM may contribute to preventing chronic inflammatory conditions through the early management of the associated disease. Further, carefully designed studies are necessary to demonstrate the relationship between COM and CRS.
Topics: Humans; Rhinitis; Sinusitis; Otitis Media; Chronic Disease; Nose
PubMed: 36676746
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59010123 -
Journal of Personalized Medicine Nov 2022This systematic review aims to (a) define what instruments are available to measure quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing tympanoplasty for chronic otitis media... (Review)
Review
This systematic review aims to (a) define what instruments are available to measure quality of life (QoL) in patients undergoing tympanoplasty for chronic otitis media (COM) and what is the most commonly selected timing to do so; (b) compare outcomes from different surgical techniques; and (c) describe any reported correlation between subjective and functional results. This review was conducted following the PRISMA statement recommendations. Of the 151 articles screened, 24 were included. Most studies had a prospective design. The mean age at surgery was 44.5 years. A microscopic retroauricular approach was the most common surgical technique. Most articles included both primary and revision surgeries. The most commonly used questionnaire was the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI), followed by the Chronic Ear Survey (CES), the Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test 15 (COMOT-15) and the Zurich Chronic Middle Ear Inventory (ZCMEI-21). Questionnaires were administered about 12 months after surgery in most studies. Ten studies reported possible associations between hearing results and QoL. QoL assessment after COM surgery variably relies on disease-specific and non-specific questionnaires. Patients are usually evaluated 12 months after surgery, and this appears to be a suitable timing to contrast the possible bias effect of different tympanoplasty techniques associated with different healing times. A comparison between QoL outcomes in different surgical approaches cannot be made, as several influencing factors have not been detailed in the included studies. Few studies have investigated the correlation between subjective and objective outcomes of tympanoplasty for COM so far.
PubMed: 36556180
DOI: 10.3390/jpm12121959 -
Saudi Medical Journal Dec 2022To investigate the incidence, risk factors, and management of meningitis in cochlear implant (CI)users.
OBJECTIVES
To investigate the incidence, risk factors, and management of meningitis in cochlear implant (CI)users.
METHODS
A systematic review was carried out using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register. Articles were considered relevant if reported any data on incidence, clinical presentations, the role of vaccination, management, and outcomes of meningitis after CI.
RESULTS
A total of 32 studies including 27358 patients were included, and meningitis was reported in only 202 cases. Meningitis occurred in the period ranging from 1 day to 72 months after CI. A total of 55 patients received the pneumococcal vaccine, while 20 patients received the type B vaccine. A large number of participants (n=47) had associated anatomical malformations, while 62 had otitis media before meningitis. A total of 24 cases required revision surgery along with medical treatment. Full recovery was the outcome reported by the included studies in 19 patients.
CONCLUSION
Cochlear implant users seem to be at possible risk of bacterial meningitis at any time after implantation, especially in the presence of risk factors, such as otitis media and anatomical malformations of the cochlea.
Topics: Humans; Cochlear Implants; Cochlear Implantation; Meningitis, Bacterial; Otitis Media; Vaccination
PubMed: 36517062
DOI: 10.15537/smj.2022.43.12.20220426 -
Cureus Nov 2022Otitis media with effusion (OME) affects approximately 80% of children due to the middle ear being flooded with fluids, though with no microbial infection... (Review)
Review
Otitis media with effusion (OME) affects approximately 80% of children due to the middle ear being flooded with fluids, though with no microbial infection manifestations. Multiple issues can drive recurring pediatric OME, such as environment-based issues, previous medical issues, inherited vulnerability from family, contact time at childcare institutes, passive smoking, and more than three siblings together with atopy or allergic rhinitis. If OME is not promptly addressed, this could eventually result in hearing impairment or loss, with consequent negative repercussions on the child's communicative and behavioral patterns. OME diagnosis within the clinic is possible, with hearing capacity being assessed pre- and post-therapy. Adenoid hypertrophy (AH) represents a typical causative factor for middle-ear conditions, stemming from mechanical or anatomical issues. Consequently, adenoid size is paramount when determining tympanometry types and ear fluids. This systematic review investigated PubMed, Medline, Cochrane Library, and Science Direct databases in order to retrieve knowledge related to this issue, adopting inclusion and exclusion criteria and maintaining review quality through the employment of the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR), the Newcastle-Ottawa tool, and the Axis scale. This systematic review analyzed a previous review article, six observation-based investigations, and three cross-sectional investigations. Previous randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were not found within previous literature, suggesting such scarcity in this research niche and thus warranting future RCT investigations based on this compelling research niche.
PubMed: 36465218
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.30985