Hearing Acuity of Children With Otitis Media With Effusion

TLDR

The study measured hearing thresholds in 222 infants (7–24 months) and 540 older children (2–12 years) with otitis media with effusion. Infants averaged a speech awareness threshold of 24.6 dB HL, whereas older children had mean bone‑conduction thresholds <10 dB HL and air‑conduction thresholds of 27 dB HL, with overall pure‑tone averages of 24.5 dB and speech‑reception thresholds of 22.7 dB, and hearing acuity was not related to age or OME duration, and although air‑fluid levels or bubbles were associated with less impairment, tympanogram characteristics did not predict hearing levels. Arch Otolaryngol 1985;111:10‑16.

Abstract

• Hearing levels are reported for a cohort of 222 infants (aged 7 to 24 months) and 540 older children (aged 2 to 12 years) with otitis media with effusion (OME). The infants had an average speech awareness threshold of 24.6 dB hearing level (HL). The older group had mean bone conduction thresholds less than 10 dB HL, and air conduction thresholds averaged 27 dB HL; however, acuity was 7 dB less impaired at 2,000 Hz. The mean three-frequency pure tone average and speech reception threshold were 24.5 and 22.7 dB, respectively. Hearing acuity was not significantly related to age or previous duration of OME. The otoscopic observation of an air-fluid level or bubbles was associated with less hearing impairment; however, a predictive relationship between hearing levels and tympanogram characteristics could not be demonstrated. (<i>Arch Otolaryngol</i>1985;111:10-16)