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Laryngoscope Investigative... Jun 2024Otosclerosis is characterized by abnormal bone growth in the otie capsule. Nowadays, stapedotomy is commonly used for otosclerosis treatment. Currently, postoperative...
BACKGROUND
Otosclerosis is characterized by abnormal bone growth in the otie capsule. Nowadays, stapedotomy is commonly used for otosclerosis treatment. Currently, postoperative dizziness has been associated with stapedotomy. In 1981, intratympanic dexamethasone was utilized to manage inner ear disorders like tinnitus and acute sensorineural hearing loss. However, there is much uncertainty regarding the effect and safety of topical steroid therapy in the middle ear during stapedotomy. In the present study, we assessed the effect of topical steroid therapy during stapedotomy on postoperative dizziness.
METHODS
Otosclerosis patients eligible for stapedotomy were randomly divided into two groups based on dexamethasone administration or placebo. Audiometric and tympanometry results were observed and recorded for the involved frequencies. The Dizziness Handicap Inventory was used to quantify patient perceptions of dizziness and balance issues. Audiometry and dizziness assessments were repeated at discharge and 4 months after the operation.
RESULTS
The study comprised 72 otosclerosis patients undergoing stapedotomy. At discharge, the intervention group showed a significant reduction in the incidence of dizziness compared to the placebo group. However, in the 4-month follow-up after the operation, both groups experienced a decrease in dizziness incidence, with no significant difference between them. There was also no significant difference in audiometric levels between the two groups. Interestingly, the intervention group had a significantly lower need for systemic anti-dizziness drugs after surgery compared to the control group.
CONCLUSION
Topical dexamethasone during stapedotomy effectively minimizes dizziness at discharge and reduces the need for postoperative anti-dizziness medication.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
2.
PubMed: 38736941
DOI: 10.1002/lio2.1257 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine May 2024: Hormonal changes during pregnancy have a substantial effect on the swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity, resulting in rhinitis and Eustachian tube...
: Hormonal changes during pregnancy have a substantial effect on the swelling of the mucous membrane in the nasal cavity, resulting in rhinitis and Eustachian tube dysfunction. The aim of the study was to assess subjective and objective changes in nasal cavity and Eustachian tube patency in the third trimester of pregnancy. : The study group included fifty 18-41 year-old women in the third trimester of pregnancy. The control group consisted of 25 females aged 25 to 31 who were not pregnant. The Eustachian tube and nasal cavity patency examination was carried out using a rhinomanometer, a tympanometer and a SNOT-22 Questionnaire. : The SNOT-22 showed that subjective nasal obstruction was assessed as strong or worse by 42% of the study group, which was significantly higher than in the control group and confirmed with rhinomanometry. A total of 68% of the study group reported a subjective ear fullness which correlated with the week of pregnancy. The tympanometry showed that all pregnant women exhibited a type A tympanogram, but tympanometry values decreased at higher weeks of pregnancy, and statistical analysis confirmed a significant difference between the study group and the control group in tympanometry for both ears. : The results highlight the substantial impact on both subjective and objective measurements of nasal and Eustachian tube patency. Almost every woman in the third trimester of pregnancy experiences nasal obstruction, and nearly 70% struggle with ear fullness. Recognizing and addressing these challenges are pivotal for ensuring the well-being of pregnant individuals and enhancing the quality of antenatal care.
PubMed: 38731199
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13092671 -
Nigerian Journal of Clinical Practice Apr 2024Predisposing factors for otitis media with effusion are multifactorial, ranging from genetic and anatomical abnormalities to environmental factors and inflammation of...
BACKGROUND
Predisposing factors for otitis media with effusion are multifactorial, ranging from genetic and anatomical abnormalities to environmental factors and inflammation of the nose and adjacent structures.
AIM
The study determined the risk factors for otitis media with effusion (OME) among children in Calabar Municipality.
METHODS
This was a descriptive, cross-sectional, community-based study including children aged 1-10 years randomly selected from government and privately owned daycares, nurseries (preschool), and primary schools. The risk factors assessed included upper respiratory tract infection, allergic rhinitis, adenoid enlargement, acute otitis media, recurrent acute otitis media parental educational level, overcrowding (four children sleeping in a room), duration of breastfeeding, cleft palate, and Down's syndrome. Allergic rhinitis was diagnosed when a child had at least two of the rhinological symptoms: nasal congestion, running nose, sneezing, itching of the eye or nose, and at least one of the following: history of allergy, family history of allergy, and positive history of asthma. The questionnaire was the research instrument used to assess the risk factors for OME. OME diagnosis was made with otoscopy and tympanometry. Data were collected and analyzed with IBM SPSS version 25, and a P value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
RESULTS
A total of 24 daycare pupils, 141 nursery pupils, and 155 primary pupils were recruited into the study. The prevalence of otitis media with effusion was more in younger children than in older children and the relationship was statistically significant (P < 0.001). Female children were more statistically affected than male children (P = 0.007). Children with allergic rhinitis accounted for a higher proportion of those with OME than those without allergic rhinitis (26.7% vs. 11.6%), and the difference was statistically significant (P = 0.007). The association between OME and upper respiratory tract infection, acute otitis media, and recurrent acute otitis media was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). Multivariate binary logistic regression was used to identify predictors for the otitis media with effusion.
CONCLUSION
There are many endogenous and exogenous risk factors for OME, but notable risk factors in our study were age 1-2 years, female sex, and allergic rhinitis.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Otitis Media with Effusion; Risk Factors; Child, Preschool; Cross-Sectional Studies; Child; Infant; Prevalence; Surveys and Questionnaires; Respiratory Tract Infections
PubMed: 38679764
DOI: 10.4103/njcp.njcp_499_23 -
Micromachines Apr 2024The surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensor has received significant attention due to its wirelessly powered, battery-free, and chipless capabilities. This paper...
The surface acoustic wave (SAW) temperature sensor has received significant attention due to its wirelessly powered, battery-free, and chipless capabilities. This paper proposes a wireless sensing system comprising a one-port SAW resonator, helix antenna, and transceiver circuit. The SAW resonator used in this system is based on aluminum nitride (AlN) thin film, which exhibits high velocity and excellent piezoelectric properties. Simulations and experiments were conducted to investigate the performance of the designed SAW resonator. A helix antenna was also designed using finite element simulation to facilitate signal transmission between the SAW temperature sensor and the transceiver. An impedance-matching network was introduced between the helix antenna and the SAW resonator to optimize signal transmission. When the wireless SAW temperature sensor was placed within a certain distance of the mother antenna, the reflection peak of the SAW resonator was observed in the spectrum of the return signal. The frequency of the echo signal increased almost linearly as the temperature increased during the temperature tests. The fitted temperature coefficient of frequency (TCF) was -31.34 ppm/°C, indicating that the wireless temperature sensing system has high-temperature sensitivity.
PubMed: 38675355
DOI: 10.3390/mi15040544 -
Journal of Clinical Medicine Mar 2024: Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear, presenting with episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus.The aim of this study is to examine the role of... (Review)
Review
: Ménière's disease (MD) is a disease of the inner ear, presenting with episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, and tinnitus.The aim of this study is to examine the role of multifrequency tympanometry (MFT) in the diagnosis of MD. A systematic review of MEDLINE (via PubMed), Scopus, Google Scholar, and the Cochrane Library was performed, aligned with the PRISMA guidelines. Only studies that directly compare ears affected by Ménière's disease with unaffected or control ears were included. Random-effects model meta-analyses were performed. Seven prospective case-control studies reported a total of 899 ears, 282 of which were affected by Ménière's disease (affected ears-AE), 197 unaffected ears in patients with MD (UE), and 420 control ears (CE) in healthy controls. No statistically significant differences between the groups were observed regarding resonant frequency (RF). The pure tone audiometry average of the lower frequencies (PTA basic) was significantly greater in affected ears when compared with unaffected ears. The conductance tympanogram at 2 kHz revealed a statistically significantly greater G width of 2 kHz in the affected ears when compared to both unaffected and control ears, while control ears had a statistically significant lesser G width of 2 kHz compared to both the other two groups. MFT, and specifically G width at 2 kHz, could be an important tool in the diagnosis of MD.
PubMed: 38592318
DOI: 10.3390/jcm13051476 -
Indian Journal of Otolaryngology and... Apr 2024The aim of this study was to explore risk factors for hearing loss or affecting hearing function in adults living with HIV. A quantitative cross-sectional design was...
The aim of this study was to explore risk factors for hearing loss or affecting hearing function in adults living with HIV. A quantitative cross-sectional design was employed. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select and recruit 132 participants aged 18 years and above from an HIV clinic within the Academic Hospital in Gauteng Province, South Africa. Participants' hearing were tested using, video otoscopy, tympanometry, pure tones, and speech audiometry. Of the 22.73% prevalence of hearing loss in the sample, the multiple logistic regression, controlling for other variables, indicated that age (AOR) = 1.049; 95%CI: 1.0005 to 1.0978) (p-value = 0.048) and extended use of antiretroviral therapy (AOR) = 1.0073; 95%CI: 0.9312 to 1.0896)) (p-value = 0.856) were strongly associated with the development of hearing loss. Although the odds of male participants to have hearing loss was 2.3572 (95%CI: 0.9394 to 5.915) compared to females, this association was marginal (p-value = 0.068). Current findings provide evidence for the risk factors for hearing loss in adults living with HIV. Given that an extended use of ART and a higher number of CD4 are strongly associated with hearing loss, these findings raise important implications for a focused monitoring for this population in order to identify early signs of hearing loss and implement timeous intervention to reduce the potential impact of hearing loss.
PubMed: 38566657
DOI: 10.1007/s12070-023-04375-z -
Acta Clinica Croatica Aug 2023The objective was to determine the range of hearing improvement (in dB) post ventilation tube insertion in children with chronic otitis media with effusion (COME), and...
The objective was to determine the range of hearing improvement (in dB) post ventilation tube insertion in children with chronic otitis media with effusion (COME), and whether there was a difference in hearing improvement between age groups and genders. This study also investigated whether there was a difference in the mean hearing improvement between the left and right ear, how many months passed before recovery of eustachian tube function, and how long the aeration of the middle ear lasted. The children included in the study were between six and twelve years of age, diagnosed with COME by audiological processing (type B tympanometric recording and conductive hearing loss up to 40 dB on pure tone audiometry) and underwent surgical insertion of ventilation tubes in both ears. Patient data included preoperative tympanometric records, preoperative and postoperative tone audiometry findings, tubometry findings 6 and 10 months after insertion of ventilation tubes, age and gender data, and length of time during which the tubes were in place. The mean hearing improvement of the included patients was 24.2 dB on the right ear and 24.5 dB on the left ear. There was no statistically significant difference between the left and right ear or between the genders. Older age groups had a higher mean hearing improvement compared with the younger age group. Younger age groups had a longer expected period of eustachian tube function recovery, and were expected to have ventilation tubes inserted for a longer period of time. Treatment with ventilation tube insertion resulted in significant improvement in hearing in children where previous conservative therapy failed to recover eustachian tube function and improve hearing. Although children of older age groups had greater preoperative hearing impairment, the recovery of both eustachian tube function and hearing improvement was faster, and the mean length of time that the ventilation tubes had to be inserted was shorter.
Topics: Child; Humans; Female; Male; Aged; Otitis Media with Effusion; Hearing; Hearing Loss; Hearing Loss, Conductive; Middle Ear Ventilation
PubMed: 38549596
DOI: 10.20471/acc.2023.62.02.07 -
IJID Regions Mar 2024There is data scarcity on the overall effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) on otitis media (OM) in low- and middle-income countries. The impact of the...
OBJECTIVES
There is data scarcity on the overall effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) on otitis media (OM) in low- and middle-income countries. The impact of the 13-valent PCV (PCV13) program on OM was evaluated in Cameroon where infant vaccination was implemented in July 2011 using a 3-dose primary series at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age.
METHODS
Through community-based surveillance, we used a retrospective cohort study design to assess OM prevalence among PCV13-vaccinated children aged 24 to 36 months in 2015. This was compared with a 2013 age-matched cohort of PCV13-unvaccinated children. OM was diagnosed by clinical inspection for chronic suppurative OM (CSOM) and tympanometry for OM with effusion (OME). CSOM was defined as draining of the middle ear with duration of more than 2 weeks and prolonged OME was defined as a flat 'type B' tympanogram. PCV13-vaccinated and PCV13-unvaccinated cohorts were compared by calculating prevalence odds ratios for OM and baseline characteristics.
RESULTS
Altogether, 111 OM cases were identified; 42/433 (9.7%) in the PCV13-unvaccinated in 2013 and 69/413 (16.7%) in the PCV13-vaccinated cohort in 2015. In the 2013 baseline survey, 3/433 (0.7%) children were identified with unilateral CSOM compared to 9/413 (2.2%) in the PCV13-vaccinated cohort in 2015. Bilateral prolonged OME was diagnosed in 7/433 (1.6%) PCV13-unvaccinated children and in 12/413 (2.9%) in PCV13-vaccinated children. Proportions of children with unilateral prolonged OME were 31/433 (7.2%) in the PCV13-unvaccinated group compared with 48/413 (11.6%) in the PCV13-vaccinated group. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed evidence that PCV13-vaccinated children in 2015 had 40% less risk of contracting OM compared to PCV13-unvaccinated children in 2013 (adjusted prevalence odds ratios = 0.60 [95% confidence interval: 0.38 to 0.94], = 0.025). Additionally, attributable proportion estimates show that, 58% of OM infections among the PCV13-vaccinated group would still have occurred despite PCV13 vaccination.
CONCLUSION
Our findings provide significant evidence on the effect of PCV13 in decreasing OM or OME among children in this age group. It also supports justification for government's continuation of PCV13 immunization program in the absence of GAVI's funding. Further research is needed to assess the long-term impact of the PCV13 program on in OM Cameroon.
PubMed: 38532743
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijregi.2023.11.009 -
Laryngoscope Investigative... Apr 2024Otitis media with effusion is common in children with cleft palates. This study aimed to investigate the link between palatal closure techniques and audiological...
OBJECTIVE
Otitis media with effusion is common in children with cleft palates. This study aimed to investigate the link between palatal closure techniques and audiological outcomes.
METHODS
In this retrospective-prospective cohort study, we examined the relationship between palate repair techniques and hearing outcomes in children with cleft palates. From 2017 to 2022, 190 ears of 95 cleft patients were studied at the Cleft Lip and Palate Department of Shiraz University of Medical Sciences. Variables assessed included the surgical technique, cleft severity, auditory brainstem response (ABR) threshold, and tympanometry configuration.
RESULTS
The mean ABR improved from a prepalatoplasty value of 39.51(11.62) decibels (dB) to a postpalatoplasty mean of 26.61(11.60) dB (Cohen's : 1.12 [95% CI; 0.90-1.34]). Initially, 87.9% of the studied ears exhibited abnormal tympanometry, but this significantly decreased to 47% postsurgery (risk ratio: 4.43 [95% CI; 1.20-16.43]). When compared with Sommerlad intravelar veloplasty, the Nadjmi modified Furlow palatoplasty was associated with a notably lower mean ABR (: -6.58 [95% CI: -10.43 to -2.73], -value = .001) and a reduced frequency of abnormal tympanometry (odds ratio [OR]: -1.10; 95% CI: -1.85 to -0.36, -value = .004). Factors like prepalatoplasty ABR, cleft palate severity, gender, and syndromic did not confound these findings.
CONCLUSIONS
Although the Nadjmi modified Furlow palatoplasty showed better results, our findings indicate a significant improvement in ABR and tympanometry outcomes for both techniques. Future randomized controlled trials are suggested to confirm the influence of palatal closure techniques on audiological outcomes.
LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
3b.
PubMed: 38525123
DOI: 10.1002/lio2.1237 -
Biomolecules & Biomedicine Mar 2024This study investigates the clinical features and therapeutic outcomes of otitis media with effusion (OME) in adults following infection with the Omicron variant of...
This study investigates the clinical features and therapeutic outcomes of otitis media with effusion (OME) in adults following infection with the Omicron variant of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), in the context of China ending its "Zero-COVID-19" policy. Conducted as a multicenter, retrospective analysis at two medical institutions in Eastern China from December 2022 to February 2023, the study included patients with confirmed Omicron infection who were diagnosed with OME within two months, adhering to guidelines from the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery Foundation (AAO-HNSF). Data on demographics, time from infection to OME manifestation, associated symptoms, and treatment outcomes were collected. Among 68 patients (73 affected ears) with OME post-Omicron infection, common symptoms included cough and nasal obstruction (69.1%). All reported ear fullness, with 86.8% experiencing hearing loss. Tympanic bullae were observed in 72.6% during otoscopy, and most tympanometry results showed a B-type tympanogram (80.0%). An integrated treatment strategy led to an 83.6% cure rate, although 8.2% experienced relapse within 2-3 months. Our findings highlight OME as a prevalent ear complication associated with COVID-19 during the Omicron pandemic, underscoring the necessity for further investigation into its complexities. While the integrated treatment approach proved effective, the 8.2% post-treatment recurrence rate underscores the importance of ongoing monitoring and signals an urgent need for more comprehensive research.
PubMed: 38498300
DOI: 10.17305/bb.2024.10239