Otitis%20media%20-%20acute%20(pediatric) Signs and Symptoms

Signs and Symptoms

Introduction

One of the most common infections in children; approximately 80% will experience at least 1 episode before school age
- More common in children between 6 to 24 months of age
May resolve spontaneously within 3-7 days without treatment

Definition

Defined as the presence of inflammation of the middle ear which may be caused by an acute infection
Accompanied by moderate to severe bulging of the tympanic membrane or otorrhea

Etiology

May be caused by a virus, bacteria or both (coinfection)
Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of acute otitis media (AOM) followed by Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and group A Streptococci (GAS)
Most common viral pathogens include respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), coronaviruses, influenza viruses, adenoviruses, human metapneumovirus, and picornaviruses

Signs and Symptoms

Acute Otitis Media (AOM)

Usually nonspecific and includes otalgia (pulling of ear in an infant), irritability, otorrhea with or without fever
- Symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) may also be present (eg cough, nasal discharge or stuffiness)

Middle Ear Effusion (MEE)

Apparent erythema of the tympanic membrane
Otalgia is apparent by noticeable discomfort of the ears that causes interference with or prevents normal sleep or activity

Risk Factors

Age <2 years
Male
Daycare attendance
Excessive pacifier use
Exposure to family members with history of acute otitis media or respiratory infections
Exposure to tobacco smoke and air pollution
Lack of or limited breastfeeding
Supine bottle feeding
Low socioeconomic status

Epidemiology

More common in children between 6 to 24 months of age

Advancing into the era of CAR T-cell therapies: Tisagenlecleucel in the treatment of B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma

Prof. Franco Locatelli, Dr. Udo Holtick, Dr. Francesca Lim, 21 May 2021

Tisagenlecleucel is the first therapy to be approved by the Singapore Health Sciences Authority under the Cell Tissue and Gene Therapy Product Regulations enacted on 1 March 2021. On 4 March 2021, Novartis organized a launch symposium for tisagenlecleucel, a CD19 chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy approved for the treatment of paediatric and young adult patients with relapsed/refractory (r/r) acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) and adults with r/r diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) after two or more lines of systemic therapy. The invited speakers were Prof Franco Locatelli from the Sapienza University of Rome, Italy, Dr Udo Holtick from the University Hospital of Cologne, Germany, and Dr Francesca Lim from Singapore General Hospital, Singapore. Prof William Hwang from National Cancer Centre, Singapore, chaired the symposium.

Bilastine in children – understanding principles and practice

24 Feb 2022

Allergic rhinitis is the most frequently occurring form of allergy in the world. It has a high burden in childhood, affecting sleep, concentration, and consecutively, learning. Professor Nikolaos Papadopoulos delivered a lecture on the evidence base and clinical experience supporting the use of Bilastine in children at the 11th Singapore Sleep, Allergy and Rhinology conference on 1 October 2020.

Antioxidant and micronutrient supplementation on the sperm parameters of male patients with idiopathic infertility: An updated literature review

09 Jun 2020

Infertility is a problem faced by 5-10 percent of couples, with male factor accounting for up to 47 percent of cases. [Int J Androl 1987;7(Suppl):1]. There are many causes for male infertility but up to 15 percent of cases are idiopathic in nature. These cases may be related to unregulated excessive oxidative stress, which may impair spermatogenesis; hence, arousing research into the role of antioxidant supplementation in improving the sperm parameters.