مختصر البحثIntroduction: Tymanometry is the most commonly used aspect of impedance audiometry and is particularly useful in evaluating children with otitis media with effusion. Although its application in diagnosis of AOM is not routinely performed, this study was carried out to demonstrate the usefulness of performing the typmanometry test in children with AOM and to regard it as a prognostic index in accordance to its results by identifying which of those patients were at a great risk of treatment failure.
Aim of the study: To analyze the prognostic significance of tympanometry by assessing its ability to identify the ratio of children with AOM who are at great risk of treatment failure. Patients and methods: This is a prospective study of 80 pediatric patients with recent attacks of acute otitis media attending the ENT clinic of Al-Sader medical city in Najaf during one year period from 1-6-2014 to 1-6-2015. The diagnosis of the AOM was done based on the presence of the clinical signs and symptoms of this disease. The patients had been sent for tympanometry and the results of tympanogram had been documented. All the patients treated in regard of the AOM by giving them antibiotics in the form of oral suspension for 14 days and their signs and symptoms assessed again at the end of treatment period.
Data analysis: The statistical calculations were carried out using chi-square test. The p value <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Results: 80 patients(115 infected ears), their age ranged from 2 to 12 years with mean age of 6.25. 53 (66.25%) were males and 27(33.75%) were females with M:F is 1.96:1. Tympanometric results of the total 115 infected ears with AOM revealed that type A tympanograph appeared in 57 (49.6%) of the ears and type B appeared in 35(30.4%), while 23(20%) of the ears had type C graph. After treatment with antibiotics for 14 days, 53 of the ears who had type A tympanogram from the start showed a complete recovery. For those ears with type B tympanometric results, 22 ears showed a complete cure and of those 23 ears with type C tymanogram , 16 had complete cure.
Conclusion:
different types of tympanometry in children suffering from AOM, it is concluded that tympanometry of children with AOM is able to provide a prognostic information regarding treatment failure.
Recommendations: It is recommended to perform the tymapanometry routinely in all children suffering from an attack of AOM as its type will predict the duration of antibiotics treatment and this will avoid the treatment failure resulting from early discontinuation of antibiotics in high risk children with abnormal tympanometric patterns.
Key words: acute otitis media, children, tympanometry
