Action of general anesthesia on middle ear effusions.

An investigation was made of the incidence of "negative myringotomy" or the absence of middle ear effusion when preoperative impedance testing and examination predicted such fluid. The effect of general anesthesia on the clearance of middle ear fluid was studied by comparing preanesthesia and postanesthesia tympanograms with the findings at myringotomy. The effect of nitrous oxide and positive pressure ventilation without nitrous oxide to increase middle ear pressure are mechanisms that could clear low viscosity fluid from the middle ear.