Reed B D, Lutz L J
Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City 84132.
Fam Med. 1988 Nov-Dec;20(6):426-30.
Middle ear effusions are associated with hearing impairments which may result in abnormalities or lags in children's hearing, speech, and cognition. Treatment rather than prevention of this problem has previously been emphasized in the medical literature. While the risks of passive smoking on various aspects of health are now becoming accepted, little is known about the effect of smoke exposure on the middle ears of children. We evaluated the association between middle ear effusions and household smoke exposure in children seen in an outpatient office. A dose-response relationship was found between increasing household smoke exposure and the prevalence of middle ear effusions as indicated by abnormal tympanograms. An attempt to minimize smoke exposure via patient education may be one of the few means health care professionals have to effect primary prevention of this potentially morbid disease.
中耳积液与听力障碍有关，这可能导致儿童听力、言语和认知方面的异常或滞后。此前医学文献一直强调对这个问题进行治疗而非预防。虽然被动吸烟对健康各个方面的风险如今已被认可，但对于接触烟雾对儿童中耳的影响却知之甚少。我们评估了门诊就诊儿童中耳积液与家庭烟雾暴露之间的关联。结果发现，家庭烟雾暴露增加与鼓膜图异常所显示的中耳积液患病率之间存在剂量反应关系。通过患者教育尽量减少烟雾暴露的尝试，可能是医疗保健专业人员对这种潜在致病疾病进行一级预防的少数手段之一。
