Otitis Media | Overview
Topic: Gender Differences in Otitis Media
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kenneth Whittemore
Summary: This research examined the gender breakdown of all patients seen at BCH with otitis media or eustachian tube dysfunction (OM/ETD) over a 5 year period. It found that not only are boys more frequently diagnosed with OM/ETD overall, but also boys with OM/ETD are more likely to undergo surgery for it than girls with OM/ETD
Topic: Conductive Hearing Loss Unrelated to Otitis Media (Ear Infections)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kenneth Whittemore
Summary: Most children who have had tympanostomy tubes placed for a hearing loss related to otitis media will see an improvement in hearing post-surgery. Some children will have a persistent hearing loss, and this research sought to categorize those children. It examined the records of all children with a persistent conductive hearing loss post-tympanostomy tube placement at BCH over a 5 year period.
Topic: Usage of Audiometric Evaluations (Hearing Tests) in Tympanotomy Tube Placement Surgeries for Otitis Media (Ear Infections)
Principal Investigator: Dr. Kenneth Whittemore
Summary: This research sought to examine the usage of audiometric evaluations in children who underwent tympanostomy tube placement surgery for otitis media. It examined the 2300 patients who had tubes placed in the period from June 2010 to June 2011, looking at whether an audiometric evaluation was obtained pre- and post-op, and what the results of the tests were.
Topic: Pain Management During Tympanostomy Tube Placement
Principal Investigator: Dr. Eelam Adil
Summary: Tympanostomy tube placement is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States. Although it is a relatively short operation, children can exhibit signs of distress and discomfort post-operatively and occasionally require "rescue analgesics" to treat their pain. Inhalational anesthetics, which are typically used to induce and maintain anesthesia during these cases, provide no analgesia. In a study by Watcha et al., it was found that administering inhalational anesthetics without supplemental analgesics during bilateral myringotomy results in up to 76% of children requiring pain relief soon after the operation (1992). Thus, we would like to study intraoperative pain management during tympanostomy tube placement in patients treated at Boston Children Hospital. Specifically, we wish to examine the type of intraoperative pain medication administered (rectal Tylenol, fentanyl, or ketorolac) and operative outcomes including operative time, anesthesia time, pain scores, emergence agitation, nausea/vomiting, and length of stay. This research aims to identify which analgesics should be administered during tympanostomy tube placement to decrease agitation and discomfort and ultimately improve patient/family satisfaction.