Prevalence of chronic otitis media with effusion in a pediatric tracheotomy population: A retrospective review

The prevalence of chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) was investigate d in a 4-year retrospective study of a pediatric tracheotomy population fol lowed in the outpatient Tracheotomy-Ventilation Clinic of Children's Hospit al of Wisconsin. After exclusions, 83 patients comprised the study populati on. In a given patient, COME was defined by the presence of middle ear effu sion in more than 50% of ear evaluations during the 4-year study period, or tympanostomy tube placement. The prevalence of COME was 60% in the study population as a whole. Special population groups had prevalences as follows: 90% in craniofacial anomaly p atients, 79% in chronically ventilated patients, and 48% in nonventilated p atients. Chronically ventilated patients had a statistically significant hi gher prevalence of COME than the nonventilated group (P < 0.025). These dat a indicate that COME is a prevalent condition in the pediatric tracheotomy population. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.