A study by Henderson et al in 1982 1 was the first to show a clear relationship between viral upper respiratory infection (URI) and acute otitis media (AOM). This study, which lasted for 14 years, showed that viral infections increased the risk of AOM more that colonization of the nasopharynx by Streptococcus pneumonia or Haemophilus influenzae. The close association of viral infections and AOM was also shown in an extensive study of Ruuskanen et al 2 (altogether 4 524 episodes of acute otitis within 6 years), in which the monthly incidence figures of AOM were found to follow closely the incidence of viral infections, RS virus in particular. In a study by Arola et al 3 comprising 363 children prone to otitis, 94% were found to have rhinitis or cough at the time of AOM diagnosis. In the fourth study by Chonmaitree et al 4 with 294 healthy children observed for one year, a total of 1295 URI episodes and 440 AOM episodes were found. The overall incidence of AOM that complicated URI was 61%. AOM occurred in approximately half of children with URI due to adenovirus, RS virus, or coronavirus and in approximately one-third of those with URI due to influenza or parainfluenza virus, enterovirus, or rhinovirus.
Primary/Secondary Keywords