ABSTRACT
Forty-seven patients were enrolled in this prospective, randomized, controlled study for determining of the efficacy of Phenylephrine hydrochloride, a topical vasoconstrictor, in preventing tympanostomy tube obstruction. Mehr 1378 to Mehr 1380, 40 patients [80 ears] returned for postoperative evaluation. In all patients preoperative diagnosis was bilateral otitis media with effusion. Twenty-two patients were males and 18 females. Mean age of the patients was 5 years/old [range 3 to 10]. Myringotomy with tymanostomy tube insertion was performed in all ears. Forty control ears received no medication, but 40 treatment ears received topical Phenylephrine immediately after the insertion of tubes. Two weeks and 2 months after surgery, tympanometry was done, and patency of tube was evaluated. The overall incidence of tympanostomy tube obstruction was 8.75%: 5% in the treatment group and 12.5% in the control group. That shows obstruction to be more than twice as much in the control group. Of course, by using Fisher's exact test, based on alfa = 0.05, p value was 0.43, so there was no significant difference between the two groups. According our plan Phenylephrine drops could be efficient in prevention of ventilation tube obstruction and safe for the inner ear