PATTERNS AND RISK FACTORS OF CHRONIC OTITIS MEDIA IN PEDIATRIC POPULATIONS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.

Abstract

Background: A constant obits media (COM) is a dominant issue in children being a common source of hearing loss, language delays, and poor academic performance. It has several demographic, environmental and clinical risk factors attributed to it. It is important to gain a local epidemiological pattern and the risks to be able to intervene on time in case of a high pediatric disease burden, particularly in low-resource settings.

Objectives: This case study sought to establish the clinical trends, possible risk factors of chronic obits media in pediatrics patients and assessment of the demography relationships and severity of presentation of the disease.

Study design: A Cross sectional study.

Place and duration of study: Department of  ENT Khyber Teaching Hospital Peshawar KPK Pakistan from 03-jan 2022 to 03-june 2022

Methods: The study was designed using a cross-sectional study where 100 pediatric patients (1 to 15 years) were hospitalized with a chronic condition of obits media participated in the clinical study. The demographic data, clinical manifestation, history of risk factors, and otoscopic cases were noted. The SPSS, version 25, was used to conduct statistical analysis. To determine any significance between variables, age group, gender, and exposure to known risk factors, means age, standard deviation, and p-values were determined.

Results:100 included pediatric patients with the mean age of 7.4 3.2 years. There were 50 percent males and 50 percent females. Persistent ear discharge was the most reported presenting symptom (78%) and additional presenting characteristics being hearing impairment (62%). Forty-two percent showed the involvement of both sides. Recurring cases of upper respiratory unpleasantness (p = 0.003), smoking at home (p = 0.021), being poor (p = 0.017) were major risk factors as well. The most affected children were school going (6-10 years). Sixty five percent of patients were observed with tympanic membrane perforation.

Conclusion: Chronic obits media prevalent in children especially those at school going age in relation to the reoccurring events of respiratory infections and exposure to the environment including passive smoking. A very important contribution is given by social-economic status. The recognition of these risk factors in early stages is of paramount importance to make proper diagnosis and treatment in order to avoid auditory and developmental progression in long run. Screening and education in high-risk communities might receive a small portion of the hope of controlling disease and its complications in pediatric patients.