OTOLARYNGOL. HEAD NECK SURG. 107/6 II (1992) 758-762


Prevention of early otorrhea in ventilation tubes

Epstein J.S., Beane J., Hubbell R.

Section of Otolaryngology, Department of Surgery, 1 South Prospect St., Burlington, VT 05405, USA

Abstract
The incidence of early postoperative otorrhea after placement of ventilation tubes ranges from 12% to 40%. This prospective randomized study of 430 children, ages 6 months to 15 years, examined the efficacy of sulfacetamide/prednisolone otic drops used for 3 days postoperatively in reducing the incidence of otorrhea at 1 week after the placement of Donaldson tubes. Subjects were randomized into two groups - drops and no drops. Preoperative diagnosis and intraoperative findings were correlated with findings. The incidence of otorrhea among all patients was 11.9%. The use of sulfacetamide/prednisolone drops for 3 days after insertion of ventilation tubes failed to reduce the incidence of otorrhea in the overall study population. The drops did demonstrate a trend toward reducing the incidence of otorrhea in certain subpopulations, including children under 3 years of age, blood at the myringotomy site, and thick middle ear effusions. Subpopulations associated with a higher incidence of otorrhea were also identified.


 

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