1991 Volume 1 Issue 2 Pages 20-24
Tympanometric screening and a queationnaire survey were performed at an elementary school in Sendai City from 1984 to 1990. The children were examined when they were in the first, third and fifth grades and a total of 4202 test results were obtained. The percentage of abnormal tympanometric findings of the first graders was found higher than that of children in any other grades. There was no apparent annual increase in the ratio of aonormal tympanograms. Four hundred and thirty-eight children underwent all three tests performed when they were in the first, third and fifth grades, and were subjected to longitudinal analysis. It is concluded that the children with abnormal tympanometric findings on more than one examination tend to be diagnosed and frequeutly treated with insertion of ventilation tubes during their preschool years. This study also suggested the importance of tympanometric screening for preschool chuildren.
