Immunologic Dysfunction Contributes to the Otitis Prone Condition

Acute otitis media (AOM) is extremely common, drives antibiotic use, emergence of antibiotic resistant bacteria and is costly. Temporary hearing loss is the most common complication; rarely there are intracranial complications.1 The World Health Organization estimates that 51,000 deaths/year are attributable to AOM in children younger than 5 years old and that chronic otitis media (occurring in 65-330 million people) is the major cause of hearing loss in developing countries.2,3 Each episode of AOM is typically followed by 4-12 weeks of otitis media with effusion (OME) during which time the child has diminished hearing and this often leads to temporary delayed speech and language development and can be associated with permanent hearing loss.
Source: Journal of Infection - Category: Infectious Diseases Authors: Source Type: research