Acute Otitis Media (Causes, Pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, treatment and complications)

"Acute otitis media is infection of the middle ear and it is a very common problem in children. The majority of children will be diagnosed with at least one episode of otitis media.

The ear plays a key role in hearing. The ear is divided into the three part, the inner, middle and outer ear. The basic physiology of the ear involves sound waves hitting and vibrating the tympanic membrane. The tympanic membrane moves the three small bones of the middle ear the malleus, incus and stapes. The movement of the stapes causes the fluid in cochlea the vibrate. The cochlear cells will translate this vibratory information into nerve impulses and send it to the brain where sound is perceived.

The eustachian tube is the connection between the middle ear and the nasopharynx. The middle ear cleft is made up of the mastoid air cells posterior to the middle ear cavity, the eustachian tube and the nasopharynx. The middle ear cleft can be thought of as a miniature lung, these areas allow for ventilation and pressure equalisation and issues in these areas can thus result in middle ear pathology.

Acute otitis media mainly occurs in children and is a result of eustachian tube dysfunction. If the eustachian tube does not work otitis media can develop. For example infection or reaction in middle cleft can result in oedema of the eustachian tube, similarly adenoid hypertrophy from an infection can block eustachian tube drainage and pressure equalisation resulting in negative pressure in the middle ear.

Otitis media is more common in children precisely because of the anatomical difference of the eustachian tube between children and adults. Unlike adults eustachian tube, a childs’ Eustachian tube is more shorter, horizontally aligned, softer and has a smaller passageway. This allows for easier spread of infection from the nasopharynx to the middle ear.

The pathophysiology of otitis media follows a few stages."

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[armandohasudungan]

🎥 DON'T JUST WATCH, LEARN ACTIVELY! TRY THE QUIZ! 🤓

[revathiajayan]

The visualisation and the real images of people's tympannic membrane really helped me. Thank you so much !

[howtomedicate]

During my pediatrics routine I daily saw several children with an acute otitis media. This makes it a very common complain, and therefore it is important to grasp the basics regarding otitis media.

[jordanl]

you put so much work into these. amazing

[KathyKladar]

I am a huge fan, and very grateful for your videos and their availability on YouTube. I respectfully submit two complaints about this video: 1) This leaves out explanation of how "air" or gasses are introduced into the middle ear. The gas-producing cells and other secretory cells in the lining of the middle ear are, in fact, affected differently by inflammation and cytokines of viral and bacterial infections. Eustachian tubes are not the only inflamed tissue involved in the process. Bacterial infections produce a very different appearance in the tympanic membrane, rendering it between clear, transparent with a blood-shot appearance and ham-like opaque pink. The presence of purulent or cloudy fluid in the middle ear indicates bacterial. The degree of bulging and redness of the tympanic membrane indicates the severity of infection and level of pressure building up within the middle ear. AAFP and AAP guidelines clearly delineate diagnostic criteria and treatment. 2) The "clock" timing the presence of pain and fever begins when the pain or fever begin, not when a patient is first examined. It is crucial to ascertain when pain and fever began, and how persistent they have been, and also to consider that fever may be reduced by acetaminophen or ibuprofen used prior to exam. Patients with severe pain, pain lasting longer than 48 hours after pain began, severe fever, or fever not improving with acetaminophen or ibuprofen should not be asked to endure another 48 hours of pain, fever, and worsening if the tympanic membrane appears reddened, bulging, and filled with fluid. Severe bulging and redness, purulent fluid visible within the ear due to stretched and transparent tympanic membranes, and other severe signs are also indicators for specific treatment consistent with AAFP and AAP guidelines.

[katttnettt]

Wow, this video is great! Everything is laid out perfectly and I love how you make sure to use words as if they’re buzz words which will help me with recall. Thank you!

[Blxssom_Olive]

Who else is watching while having otitis media?

[ruxangela]

"Adenoid" refers to a mass of lymphatic tissue located in the upper part of the throat, behind the nose. Adenoids are part of the immune system and help fight infections in children, but they usually shrink and become less active as people age.

Key Points:

Function: Adenoids trap germs (bacteria and viruses) entering through the nose and mouth.

Enlargement: Enlarged adenoids can cause issues like difficulty breathing through the nose, snoring, or frequent ear infections.

Removal: In some cases, when they cause chronic problems, they may be surgically removed in a procedure called an adenoidectomy.

[bartwilson]

I’ve had ear problems for as long as I can remember. I never really understood it all that well, but this was great. I’ve had everything you mentioned and then some. I hope in the further video you mentioned you will touch on cholesteatoma as a complication (I’ve had a few of those, too). Thanks a lot for the videos.

[healthylifestyle]

I knew you'd clear all this up for me. Thank you

[pallavi_punghera]

Love ur efforts, keep uploading ur videos.. They are very helpful.
Thankyou sooo much for spreading knowledge in so much effective way.

[nadamahmoud]

Thank you that's the best illustration for otitis media I have ever learnt

[doctort]

This is amazing, your channel is absolutely superb

[wiememo]

Reason why there's an increase in negative pressure when the Eustachian tube is obstructed: the negative pressure is generated in the middle ear space because the mucous membranes absorb the air from the middle ear.

[DaniloInderWildi]

This was fantastically visualized and explained, thank you. I'm 32 now and I've had otitis about twelve times in my life. (Right now struggling with one.) No fun at all. But at least I do now know what's it all about. Given my individual vulnerability to it, I wondered whether my eustachian tubes might be too short or positioned too horizontally ... would be interesting to know.

[superPizzation]

Cannot thank you enough for these videos!!!

[zahrazahari]

your video is always be my last minute study tools. thankyou for making me less miserable.

[crazyiananderson]

I had this when I was 8. It hurt like hell! But thanks to ear drops and antibiotics, I was better in just a few days.

[madhutamang]

The way you taught this topic... it's amazing 💯

[medicalservices]

Correction on one of the bacteria: It is Moraxella catarrhalis. Great explanation