Description:
BACKGROUND: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) involves a cycle of inflammation, ulceration, granulation and infection in the middle ear. There will be a purulent discharge through a perforated tympanic membrane present for more than 6 weeks, conductive hearing loss and often, inflammation of the mastoid cavity. Complications include hearing loss, labrinthitis, mastoiditis, cholesteatoma, facial nerve paralysis, meningitis, brain abscess and sigmoid sinus thrombosis.
OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence, complications and management of chronic suppurative otitis media among children aged 15 years and below attended ear, nose, and throat department at KCMC from January 2013- December 2015.
METHODOLOGY: This was a hospital based retrospective cross-sectional study which was conducted in ENT department at KCMC referral hospital. The study mainly based on patient’s notes available in the files from medical records where confidentiality of the patients was maintained. Data collection form were used to extract information from medical files, then these data were entered, cleaned, and analyzed with SPSS version 20; Descriptive analysis was done whereby median was used to summarize continuous data, frequency, and percentage was used to summarize the categorical data and presented in pie chart.
RESULT: A total of 47 children in this study had CSOM, 21(44.7%) male and 26(55.3%) female and their median age was 11 years ranged from 2-15. The prevalence of CSOM was 3.2% and 5(10.6%) children had exractranial complications. All forty seven (47) children who had CSOM received medical management but some and 80% of all surgeries done were myringoplasty.
CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CSOM has declined with the advent of antibiotics. In developing areas of the world, however, where the availability of medical facilities is still in its infancy, complications occur with significant morbidity and mortality early diagnosis and prompt treatment helps in reducing the rate of morbidity and mortality.