The burden of otitis media

Otitis media is the most frequent reason that children go to the doctor for illness. In developing countries, where children have limited access to me dical care, suppurative complications of otitis media (OM) are frequent and permanent hearing loss results. In developed countries, the most common mo rbidity of OM is conductive hearing loss due to middle ear effusion. Infant s with severe and recurrent OM and persistent middle ear effusion are at ri sk for problems in behavior and development of speech, language and cogniti ve abilities. Parent stress is frequent. The cost of otitis media is large (> $5 billion in the United States). Selection and spread of multi-drug res istant bacterial pathogens arising from extensive use of antimicrobial agen ts for OM is a problem for management of all diseases due to the pathogens. The incidence and severity of OM may diminish with introduction of new bac terial and viral vaccines. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.