Identification of hearing loss in children with otitis media.

Hearing loss is the most common complication of otitis media. Hearing loss secondary to otitis media has increasingly been associated with significant developmental and educational problems. However, not enough is known about the peripheral auditory effects of otitis media. The young age of most children affected by otitis media makes detailed audiologic assessment challenging. This paper presents a brief synopsis of audiologic strategies that may be employed to assess the hearing status of infants and children with otitis media with effusion. Data pertaining to the risk of hearing loss recurrence after tympanostomy tube insertion are presented from a prospective longitudinal study of hearing in children with chronic otitis media with effusion.