Skip to main content

Otitis Media with Effusion

Hobart Lee, FAAFP, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Also called serous otitis media, secretory otitis media, nonsuppurative otitis media, “ear fluid,” or “glue ear”

  • Otitis media with effusion (OME) is defined as the presence of fluid i...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • OME is transient and asymptomatic in many pediatric patients.

  • Most common reported symptom is hearing loss (2). There may be mild discomfort present in the ear, fullness, or “popping....

TREATMENT

  • OME improves or resolves without medical intervention in most patients within 3 months, especially if secondary to AOM (1)[C].

  • Current guidelines support a 3-month period of observation with...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

  • Children who are at risk for developmental difficulties should be evaluated for OME at the time of diagnosis and at 12 to 18 months (if initial ...

REFERENCES

1
Rosenfeld  RM, Shin  JJ, Schwartz  SR, et al. Clinical practice guideline: otitis media with effusion executive summary (update). Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg.  ...

CODES

ICD10

  • H65.90 Unspecified nonsuppurative otitis media, unspecified ear

  • H65.00 Acute serous otitis media, unspecified ear

  • H65.20 Chronic serous otitis media, unspecified ear

  • H65.07 Acute serous otitis...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • OME is defined as the presence of a middle ear effusion in the absence of acute signs of infection.

  • In children, OME most often arises following an AOM. In adults, it often occurs in as...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

×