In search of 'otitis media with effusion-specific behaviour'

Abstract

Introduction. The authors aim to describe otitis media with effusion (OME)‐specific behaviour in infants, in order to create a short but valid questionnaire, applicable in daily general practice, with a high positive predictive value for OME. Patients and methods. One‐ and 2‐year‐olds, with documented OME for over 3 months, based on otoscopy, audiometry and tympanometry, and scheduled for tympanostomy tubes insertion, were eligible for this study. A questionnaire containing three domains (speech and language development. emotional development and physical and motor development) was taken from the parents on three occasions: 2–4 weeks before, on the day of, and 6 weeks after, the surgery. During the last visit, middle ears were assessed by means of tympanometry and otoscopy. Results. Preliminary findings in 43 infants revealed fairly good internal consistency of the documented domains. Parental ratings were stable over the 2–4 week period before surgery. Significant changes in reported behaviour after the surgery only occurred in 1‐year‐olds. Conclusion.The aim of the study at this stage was to describe OME‐specific behaviour in infants. The results so far indicate that such behaviour exists and that parents can be questioned about it.