Introduction: The aim of this study is to appreciate the results of short-tympanostomy tubes (ST) in case of recurrent acute otitis media (AOM), and to appreciate the risk factors of recurrent AOM.
Methods: This retrospective chart study concerns infants who had STT placement surgery forrecurrent AOM, between 2007 and 2011. Demographic data, anamnesis, efficacy and postoperative follow-up were analyzed.
Results: Forty-nine children were included in the study (30 boys, 19 girls; 7 months to 2 years-old, median age 1.4 year). Two-thirds attended a day-care center, one third was an onlychild. One quarter had an anemia. Anti-Haemophilus and anti-pneumococcus vaccinations were up-to-date in 87.5%. After STT placement, 20 children (40.8%) did not present any new episode of AOM. This result did not vary with adenoidectomy. Among the ones that relapsed AOM after STT, 48.3% presented with only one episode. For two thirds of the patients, no general antibiotic treatment was necessary as long as the STT were in place. Half STT have been spontaneously expulsed between 6 and 12 months. Thirteen infants (37.1%) had new episodes of AOM after STT expulsion and 5 (38.5%) needed new tube placement.
Conclusion: This study confirms that day care and siblings are risk factors of recurrent AOM, but does not confirm potential role of the anemia. STT placement decreased effectively AOM recurrences, their severity and the need for antibiotics prescriptions. No residual perforation was encountered in this study.