Otitis media among elderly: incidence, complication and prevention

Authors

  • Hanadi Al-Sadeeq College of Medicine, Almaarefa Colleges, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Zafer Algarni Ibn Sina National College, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdullah Alobaid College of Medicine, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdullah Aloyaid College of Medicine, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Mohammad Alotaibi College of Medicine, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdulmalek Al-Qwizani College of Medicine, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Abdulmohsen Al-Baqami College of Medicine, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Zaid AlOmar College of Medicine, Imam Muhammad ibn Saud Islamic University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
  • Hanan Alsohabi Department of Family Medicine, Al Qunfudah General Hospital, Al Qunfudah, Saudi Arabia
  • Shima Albather Department of Family Medicine, Primary Health Care, Hofuf, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20180419

Keywords:

Otitis media, Elderly, Geriatric, Incidence, Complications, Prevention

Abstract

Though often considered a disease of children, otitis media can affect the elderly. The incidence of otitis media among elderly population is variable among countries, but generally low, with a value ranging from 0.25-9%. However, dangerous complications may occur. Otitis media is a complex spectrum of diseases that include acute otitis media, otitis media with effusion, suppurative otitis media, and mastoiditis. Otitis media in elderly doesn’t feature the classical presentation in children. Elderly patients experience otalgia with or without hearing loss or signs of inflammation. Infection may spread to either to adjacent structures leading to mastoiditis, petrositis, labyrinthitis, or facial nerve palsy, or intracranially leading to meningitis, subarachnoid abscess, subdural abscess, encephalitis, brain abscess, lateral or sigmoid venous sinus thrombosis, and otitis hydrocephalus. The mainstay strategies for prevention of otitis media are the adequate proper treatment of each infection, and tight control of modifiable risk factors such as tobacco smoking, immunosuppression, upper respiratory tract infection, allergy, and craniofacial abnormalities. Antimicrobial treatment should be continued for at least 10-14 years.

 

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Published

2018-02-24

How to Cite

Al-Sadeeq, H., Algarni, Z., Alobaid, A., Aloyaid, A., Alotaibi, M., Al-Qwizani, A., Al-Baqami, A., AlOmar, Z., Alsohabi, H., & Albather, S. (2018). Otitis media among elderly: incidence, complication and prevention. International Journal Of Community Medicine And Public Health, 5(3), 839–841. https://doi.org/10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20180419

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Section

Review Articles