2008 Volume 29 Issue 3 Pages 87-93
In recent years, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) has been reported as a major virus of the respiratory tract involved in the onset of acute otitis media (AOM). In April 2008, middle ear fluid (MEF) samples of 16 (80%) of the 20 children with AOM at a hospital were positive for RSV antigen with the RSV antigen rapid testing kit “check RSV. ” Five (31%) of the antigen-positive cases relapsed with purulent asymptomatic MEF, and 3 (15%) were antigen-positive at the time of relapse. Furthermore, one of these cases, which was examined for RSV antigen three times in one month, showed positive results in all three evaluations. fve of the antigen-positive cases relapsed and became intractable, and tympanostomy was performed in 4 cases. Bacteria were detected in 14antigen-positive cases, and although some cases improved quickly despite the presence of drugresistant bacteria, there were cases that were intractable despite the presence of drug-sensitive bacteria. Among the cases of AOM in which RSV was detectable in MEF, were observed; hence, examination of the effect of the virus in this disease is considered necessary.
