Armstrong B W, Armstrong R B
Laryngoscope. 1979 Mar;89(3):443-9. doi: 10.1288/00005537-197903000-00012.
Tympanostomy tubes are employed when middle ear ventilation is indicated, particularly when other forms of treatment have failed. Few other uses have broad acceptance. Any other insertion of a ventilating tube implies abuse, either through error in diagnosis or deliberate misapplication. Hard statistical data relating to abuse are impossible to obtain, but ample illustrations can be cited. The cost-benefit ratio is difficult to assess. Cost of a myringotomy and tube versus the cost of a tympanomastoidectomy was determined in four geographic areas. These figures, however, do not reveal how many ears were spared and how much hearing was conserved by tympanostomy tubes. Informed, diligently aggressive use of tympanostomy tubes offers greater potential to avoid serious middle ear disorders and complications than any other single modality.
当中耳需要通气时，尤其是其他治疗方法失败时，会使用鼓膜造孔管。很少有其他用途得到广泛认可。任何其他插入通气管的行为都意味着滥用，无论是诊断错误还是故意误用。很难获得与滥用相关的确切统计数据，但可以列举大量例证。成本效益比难以评估。在四个地理区域确定了鼓膜切开术及置管的成本与鼓室乳突切除术的成本。然而，这些数字并未显示鼓膜造孔管使多少只耳朵得以幸免以及保留了多少听力。明智、积极地使用鼓膜造孔管比任何其他单一方式更有潜力避免严重的中耳疾病和并发症。
