Biomaterial Database

Swimming and tympanostomy tubes: a prospective study. 1987

G D Becker, and T J Eckberg, and R R Goldware

To prevent ear infection, many physicians advise their patients to avoid water after insertion of tympanostomy tubes. This advice is a logical extension of the supposition that contaminated water entering the middle ear through the tube may cause an infection. While tympanostomy tubes have been in widespread use for over 30 years, very few prospective clinical trials have evaluated their use while swimming. This study evaluated 85 patients with tympanostomy tubes divided into three groups: swimming without earplugs, swimming with earplugs, and no swimming. The infection rates were 16%, 30%, and 30% in the three groups, respectively. We conclude that swimming without earplugs does not result in an increased incidence of middle ear infections.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D008876	Middle Ear Ventilation	Ventilation of the middle ear in the treatment of secretory (serous) OTITIS MEDIA, usually by placement of tubes or grommets which pierce the TYMPANIC MEMBRANE.	Grommet Insertion,Tympanostomy Tube Insertion,Ventilation, Middle Ear,Myringostomy,Tympanostomy,Ear Ventilation, Middle,Ear Ventilations, Middle,Grommet Insertions,Insertion, Grommet,Insertion, Tympanostomy Tube,Insertions, Grommet,Insertions, Tympanostomy Tube,Middle Ear Ventilations,Myringostomies,Tube Insertion, Tympanostomy,Tube Insertions, Tympanostomy,Tympanostomies,Tympanostomy Tube Insertions,Ventilations, Middle Ear
D010033	Otitis Media	Inflammation of the MIDDLE EAR including the AUDITORY OSSICLES and the EUSTACHIAN TUBE.	Middle Ear Inflammation,Inflammation, Middle Ear
D011446	Prospective Studies	Observation of a population for a sufficient number of persons over a sufficient number of years to generate incidence or mortality rates subsequent to the selection of the study group.	Prospective Study,Studies, Prospective,Study, Prospective
D002648	Child	A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL.	Children
D002675	Child, Preschool	A child between the ages of 2 and 5.	Children, Preschool,Preschool Child,Preschool Children
D004430	Ear Protective Devices	Personal devices for protection of the ears from loud or high intensity noise, water, or cold. These include earmuffs and earplugs.	Earplugs,Hearing Protective Devices,Earmuffs,Device, Ear Protective,Device, Hearing Protective,Devices, Ear Protective,Devices, Hearing Protective,Ear Protective Device,Earmuff,Earplug,Hearing Protective Device,Protective Device, Ear,Protective Device, Hearing,Protective Devices, Ear,Protective Devices, Hearing
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man