What's the evidence for surgery to put in grommets (eear tubes)?
22.01.2009 08:14There hasn't been much research to tell if surgery to put in grommets helps to prevent further ear infections.
We found only one small, good-quality study (randomised controlled trial). The study found that grommets helped prevent ear infections for six months but not in the long term.
This study was small, including just 44 children. More research is needed to decide whether surgery to put grommets in should be used for ear infections.
References
Le TC, Freeman DW, Fireman BH. Evaluation of ventilating tubes and myringotomy in the treatment of recurrent or persistent otitis media. Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal. 1991; 10: 2-11.
Glossary
infection
You get an infection when an organism, such as a bacterium, a fungus or a virus gets into a part of your body where it shouldn't be. For example, an infection in your nose and airways causes the common cold. An infection in your skin can cause rashes such as athlete's foot. The organisms that cause infections are so tiny that you can't see them without a microscope.
randomised controlled trials
Randomised controlled trials are medical studies designed to test whether a treatment works. Patients are split into groups. One group is given the treatment being tested (for example, an antidepressant drug) while another group (called the comparison or control group) is given an alternative treatment. This could be a different type of drug or a dummy treatment (a placebo). Researchers then compare the effects of the different treatments.
from:www.guardian.co.uk/
———
Zurück