THE PH OF SECRETIONS IN SINUSITIS AND OTITIS-MEDIA

Impaired mucociliary function is a common finding in patients with rec urrent respiratory infections, sinusitis and otitis media. One main co mponent of mucociliary transport, ciliary beating activity, is sensiti ve to environmental hydrogen ion concentration (pH). The pH of secreti ons in 103 specimens from acute or chronic sinusitis and in 98 specime ns from acute or secretory otitis media were measured. There were no d ifferences between acute and chronic sinusitis (mean of pH 7.5 +/- 0.5 and 7.4 +/- 0.6) or between mucous and purulent secretions. In acute otitis media, secretion was significantly more acidic than in secretor y otitis media (mean of pH 7.7 +/- 0.5 versus 8.2 +/- 0.4). The pH was less than 7.0 in 16 (15.5%) patients with chronic sinusitis and in tw o (8%) patients with acute otitis. The study shows that pH of sinusal or tympanal secretion is, in the majority of patients, within limits t hat do not cause ciliostasis.