Screening for otitis media with effusion in Chinese schoolchildren: a pilot study.

Otitis media with effusion (OME) is a common childhood otological condition. The treatment of OME with myringotomy and grommet insertion is the commonest surgical procedure performed on children worldwide. Although the figure for the prevalence of OME is widely known in Caucasian children, figures are lacking for Chinese children. A pilot study for the prevalence of OME in Hong Kong Chinese schoolchildren was undertaken by the investigators on a group of 255 children with ages ranging from 6 to 7 years old. A point prevalence rate of 1.56% of OME was found. This is noticeably lower than studies in the West where the reported prevalence ranges from 2.3% to 14% in age compatible children. The epidemiology of OME and the methodology for population screening of OME are reviewed and discussed. The preliminary findings of this study would be a useful indicator for the estimation of study group size in a full epidemiological study of OME in Chinese children as well as providing valuable insight into the technical difficulties involved.