ABSTRACT
The prevalence of chronic otitis media was studied in an urban and a rural community in southern Vietnam in 1995. A total of 3,300 children, aged from 6 months to 10 years, were selected randomly by taking every third child on the vaccination list. In this cross-sectional study, 453 ears were found to have chronic otitis media or sequelae otitidis, giving an overall prevalence of 6.86%. A total of 140 ears had perforations. Various attic changes were found in 73 ears and other chronic tympanic membrane changes, such as atrophy, tympanosclerosis and adhesions, in 219 ears. Cholesteatoma was seen in two ears.
Subject(s)
Otitis Media/epidemiology , Population Surveillance , Acoustic Impedance Tests , Atrophy/pathology , Catchment Area, Health , Child , Child, Preschool , Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/epidemiology , Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/etiology , Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear/pathology , Chronic Disease , Electronic Data Processing , Humans , Infant , Otitis Media/complications , Otosclerosis/epidemiology , Otosclerosis/etiology , Otosclerosis/pathology , Prevalence , Rural Population/statistics & numerical data , Severity of Illness Index , Tympanic Membrane/pathology , Tympanic Membrane Perforation/epidemiology , Tympanic Membrane Perforation/etiology , Urban Population/statistics & numerical data , Vietnam/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Few reliable data exist on the prevalence of secretory otitis media (SOM) in the Third World. A large epidemiologic cross-sectional study was undertaken in two communes in southern Vietnam to study an urban and a rural community during two different climatic conditions: the dry and rainy seasons. The participants included 3,300 children (6,598 ears) ages 6 months to 10 years. Otolaryngological and medical histories were obtained, and an otolaryngological examination was carried out on 1,669 children in April 1995 (the dry season) and on 1,631 children in December 1995 (the rainy season). Tympanograms were obtained (n = 6,055), 429 of which were type B curves. The overall prevalence of SOM was 7.1%, the highest incidence was at the age of 2 years (with a prevalence of 22%), and there was a significantly higher prevalence of SOM during the rainy season than during the dry season. No significant difference in incidence was found in the urban district as compared to the rural district.
