Though not in widespread use, the technique of autoinflation has been used as a treatment for OME. The goal of autoinflation is to use either a ...SkiptomaincontentHome»Products»OtitisMediaWithEffusion:ComparativeEffectivenessofTreatments»OtitisMediaWithEffusion:ComparativeEffectivenessofTreatmentsOnJuly30,2012,amendmentsweremadetothisprotocol.Toviewtheseamendments,pleaseseethesectiontitled“SummaryofProtocolAmendments.”BackgroundandObjectivesfortheSystematicReviewOtitismediawitheffusion(OME)isdefinedasacollectionoffluidinthemiddleearwithoutsignsorsymptomsofearinfection.1IttypicallyariseswhentheEustachiantubesarenotfunctioningnormally.Whenthishappens,pressurechangesoccurinthemiddleearandfluidcanaccumulate.OMEisoneofthemostcommonlyoccurringchildhoodillnessesintheUnitedStateswithmorethan2.2milliondiagnosedcaseseachyearatanestimatedannualcostof4billiondollars.2Asmanyas90percentofchildren(80%ofindividualears)willhaveatleastoneepisodeofOMEbyage10,withthemajorityofcasesoccurringbetweentheagesof6monthsand4years.2,3ManyepisodesofOMEresolvespontaneouslywithin3months,but30to40percentofchildrenhaverecurrentepisodesand5to10percentofcaseslastmorethan1year.1,4,5Additionally,somesubpopulationsofchildrenaredisproportionatelyaffectedbyOME.Thosewithcleftpalate,Downsyndrome,andothercraniofacialanomaliesareathighriskforanatomiccausesofOMEinadditiontoworsenedfunctionoftheEustachiantube.6IndividualsofAmericanIndian,Alaskan,andAsianbackgroundsarebelievedtobeatgreaterrisk,7asarechildrenwithadenoidhyperplasia.Inaddition,childrenwithexistinghearinglosswillbeaffectedmoredramaticallybythesecondaryconductivehearinglossthatoccurswithOME.ThereareseveralpredisposingenvironmentalfactorsthatareassociatedwithanincreasedriskofdevelopingOME.3Theseincludeexposuretosecondhandsmoke,attendingchildcare,andhavingenvironmentallyinducedallergies.Althoughrare,OMEalsooccursinadults,usuallydevelopingafterasevereupperrespiratoryinfectionsuchassinusitis,severeallergies,orrapidchangeinairpressure(barotrauma)afterapla