Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and University of Abuja; Division of Otorhinolaryngology, Garki Hospital, Abuja, Nigeria.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Abuja Teaching Hospital and University of Abuja, Abuja, Nigeria.
Ann Afr Med. 2022 Jan-Mar;21(1):65-70. doi: 10.4103/aam.aam_17_21.
Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a middle ear condition characterized by the accumulation of serous fluid. It is common, though not exclusive; among children with its attendant developmental consequence if missed or untreated in early life. OME could be managed surgically, pharmacologically, or physiologically. EarPopper is a medical device developed for physiologic management of OME, Eustachian tube dysfunction, and related problems. We aim to ascertain the suitability/efficiency of EarPopper® device for the treatment of OME in our setting.
This is a prospective interventional study of volunteers diagnosed with OME from four (4) medical centers in Abuja. Pneumatic otoscopy, video-otoscopy, tympanometry, and pure-tone audiometry were done to confirm the diagnosis. Serial EarPopper sessions were performed twice weekly for 2-12 weeks, and outcome was assessed using patients' reports. The reports include the EarPopper scoring system (ESS) and audiometric parameters (before and after therapy).
Forty-five patients (17 males and 28 females) aged between 3-56 years were enrolled. Thirty-five were diagnosed with bilateral OME and 10 unilateral. All patients had Type-B tympanometry tracing with mild-to-moderate conductive hearing losses and ESS of between 2.45% and 84%. Out of the 45 participants, 32 (71.1%) completed the treatment, whereas 13 (28.9%) were lost to follow-up. Duration of EarPopper treatment ranged from 2 to 12 weeks. The outcome revealed improvement in 26/32 (81.3%) with significant reduction in ESS (1% to 9.8%). Six patients 6/32 (18.9%) had persistence symptoms. These 18.9% had the propensity to progress to chronic OME.
This study highly suggests good prospect in using EarPopper for the management of OME among Africans.
分泌性中耳炎（OME）是一种中耳疾病，其特征是浆液性液体积聚。它在儿童中较为常见，尽管并非排他性的；如果在早期生活中被忽视或未得到治疗，它会伴随发育后果。OME 可以通过手术、药物或生理方式进行治疗。EarPopper 是一种为生理治疗 OME、咽鼓管功能障碍和相关问题而开发的医疗设备。我们旨在确定 EarPopper®设备在我们的环境中治疗 OME 的适宜性/效率。
这是一项在阿布贾的四个医疗中心诊断为 OME 的志愿者的前瞻性干预研究。通过气动耳镜检查、视频耳镜检查、鼓室图和声导抗测试来确认诊断。每周进行两次 EarPopper 治疗，共进行 2-12 周，通过患者报告评估结果。报告包括 EarPopper 评分系统（ESS）和听力参数（治疗前后）。
共有 45 名（17 名男性和 28 名女性）年龄在 3-56 岁的患者入组。35 名患者被诊断为双侧 OME，10 名患者为单侧。所有患者的鼓室图均为 B 型，听力损失为轻度至中度传导性，ESS 在 2.45%-84%之间。45 名参与者中有 32 名（71.1%）完成了治疗，而 13 名（28.9%）失访。EarPopper 治疗时间从 2 周到 12 周不等。结果显示，32 名（81.3%）患者的病情得到改善，ESS 显著降低（1%-9.8%）。6 名患者（6/32，18.9%）症状持续存在。这些 18.9%的患者有进展为慢性 OME 的倾向。
本研究强烈表明，EarPopper 在非洲人中治疗 OME 具有良好的前景。
