Clinical Characteristics of Type D Ventilation Tubes in the Management of Otitis Media with Effusion in Children

Abstract

　 For the initial management of Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) in children using a ventilation tube, the guidelines for OME in children (2022 edition) recommend the use of short-term ventilation tubes. In our hospital, the type D tube is used for managing all cases. In this study, we evaluated the use of type D tubes among 69 patients (122 ears) under the age of 15 years who underwent treatment at our hospital from April 2013 to December 2017. The average age of this cohort was 5.5 years (Range: 1-13 years). We retrospectively reviewed patients' clinical characteristics (age, sex, medical history, characteristics of middle ear fluid, tube insertion time, recurrence rates, perforation rates, and infection rates), preoperative neutrophil-lymphocyte rates (NLR), and platelet-lymphocyte rates (PLR). The average tube extrusion time was 15.9 months. The rates of recurrence, infection, and perforation were 13.1% (16 ears), 7.4% (9 ears), and 6.0% (7 ears), respectively. The group with recurrence had a significantly longer tube extrusion time than the group without recurrence. In comparing patients based on middle ear fluid characteristics and recurrence rate, no differences in NLR and PLR were observed. Based on our findings, the characteristics of type D tubes are essential in choosing a ventilation tube for OME management in children.