Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-94d59 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-27T09:02:27.626Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Increase in paediatric acute otitis media diagnosed by primary care in two Finnish municipalities – 1994–5 versus 1978–9

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 December 1998

V.-P. JOKI-ERKKILÄ
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Medical School, University of Tampere, FIN-33101 Tampere, Finland
P. LAIPPALA
Affiliation:
School of Public Health, University of Tampere, FIN-33101 Tampere, Finland
J. PUKANDER
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology, Medical School, University of Tampere, FIN-33101 Tampere, Finland
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

In recent decades, several epidemiological studies have been published on acute otitis media (AOM), indicating that the occurrence of AOM is increasing. However, the comparison between the surveys is complicated and biased by several factors, e.g. variable study demography and design and dissimilar diagnostic criteria. The present study was performed with an identical set-up in 1978–9 and 1994–5 to find out potential changes in the occurrence of AOM. All the attacks of AOM among children under 10 years diagnosed by a physician during the 12-month periods 1 June, 1978 to 31 May 1979 and 1 June 1994 to 31 May 1995 were registered retrospectively in two Finnish municipalities. The incidence rate (total number of AOM attacks per 100 child years) was 19 (95% CI 18–21) in 1978–9 and 32 (95% CI 30–34) in 1994–5. The increase in the occurrence of AOM was 68% (95% CI 53–79%, P<0·001).

Type
Research Article
Copyright
© 1998 Cambridge University Press