ENT AS Flashcards
What types of audiometry are there?
Pure tone audiometry (PTA)
Tympanometry
Evoked response audiometry
What is pure tone audiometry?
Headphones deliver tones at different frequencies and strengths in a sound-proofed room.
Patient indicates when sound appears and disappears.
What is tympanometry?
Measures stiffness of ear drum
- Evaluates middle ear function
Flat tympanogram: mid ear fluid or perforation
Shifted tympanogram: +/- mid ear pressure
What is an evoked response audiometry?
- Auditory stimulus with measurements of elicited brain response by surface electrodes
- Used for neonatal screening (if otoacoustic emission testing negative).
What is otitis externa presentation?
Watery discharge
Itch
Pain and tragal tenderness - acute main on moving the pinna.
Conductive hearing loss if lesion is large.
Inflammation is more likely to be severe if there is:
- a red, oedematous ear canal which is narrowed and obscured by debris
- conductive hearing loss
- Discharge
- Regional lymphadenopathy
- Cellulits
- Fever
Chronic otitis externa
- Chronic discharge from affected ear, hearing loss, and severe pain.
What are the risk factors of otitis externa ?
Moisture: e.g swimming
Trauma: e.g fingernails
Absence of wax
Hearing aid
What are the most common organisms for otitis externa?
Mainly pseudomonas
Staph Aureus
Management of otitis externa?
Mild cases (no deafness no discharg) topical acetic acid.
Aural toilet with drops
- Betamethasone for non-infected eczematous OE
- Betamethasone with neomycin
- Hydrocortisone with gentamicin
- Acidifying drops
Use flucloxacillin for uncomplicated otitis externa if systemic therapy was warranted.
If not responsive do a swab.
If they fail to respond refer to ENT urgently. This is despite strong analgesia therefore suggests malignant otitis externa
Poor response to topical antibiotics should be referred to ENT. This is for microsuction and insertion of a pope wick.
What is malignant otitis externa?
- Life-threatening infection which can –> skull osteomyelitis
- 90% of pts are diabetic (or other immune compromise)
Common in diabetics with pseudomonas infection.
Therefore need ciprofloxacin.
Presentation
- Severe otalgia which is worse @ night
- Copious otorrhoea
- Granulation tissue in the canal
Management
- Surgical debridement
- Systemic antibiotics
What is bullous myringitis ?
- Painful haemorrhagic blisters on deep meatal skin and TM
- Associated with influenza infection
What are the symptoms of TMJ dysfunction?
temporomandibular joint
- Earache (referred pain from auriculotemporal N)
- Facial pain
- Joint clicking/popping
- Teeth grinding (bruxism)
Signs
- Joint tenderness exacerbated by lateral movements of an open jaw
Investigations of TMJ dysfunction?
MRI
Management of TMJ dysfunction?
NSAIDS
Stabilising orthodontic occlusal prostheses.
What is the classification of otitis media?
Acute: Acute phase
Glue ear/OME: effusion after symptom regression
Chronic: effusion >3 months if bilateral or >6 months if unilateral
Chronic suppurative OM: Ear discharge with hearing loss and evidence of central drum perforation
What are the organisms for otitis media?
Viral
Strep Pneumococcus
Haemophilus influenza
Moraxella catarrhalis
Acute OM presentation?
Usually children post viral URTI
Secondary to eustacian tube dysfunction.
Rapid onset ear pain, tugging @ ear
Irritability, anorexia, vomiting
Purulent discharge if drum perforates. Green discharge more likely to be mucinous and OE.
O/E
- Bulging, red TM
- Fever
Management of Acute OM?
Paracetamol: 15mg/kg
Give antibiotics if:
- Symptoms lasting more than 4 days or not improving
- Immunocompromised
- Younger than 2 with bilateral otitis media
- Otitis media with perforation.
Amoxicillin: may use delayed prescription
What are the complications of otitis media?
Complications - Intratemporal OME Perforation of TM Mastoiditis Facial nerve palsy
- Intracranial
Meningitis/encephalitis
Brain abscess
Sub/epidural abscess
Systemic
- Bacteraemia
- Septic Arthritis
- IE
OME presentation?
Inattention at school
Poor speech development
Hearing impaired
o/e
- retracted dull TM
- Fluid level
Investigations for OME?
Audiometry: flat tympanogram
Management of OME?
Usually resolves spontaneously
- Consider grommets if persistent hearing loss
SE: infections and tympanosclerosis
Chronic suppurative OM?
Presents with painless discharge and hearing loss
o/e - TM perforation
Management
- Aural toilet
- Abx/Steroid ear drops
Complications
- Cholesteatoma. Those with cholesteatoma have a perforation of the pars tensa. Complain of intermittent discharge. IMpaired hearing and foul smelling discharge.
Mastoiditis presentation and management?
Middle-ear inflammation –> destruction of mastoid air cells and abscess formation.
Presents with
- Fever
- Mastoid tenderness
- Protruding auricle
- Bogguness of the space behind ear.
Imaging
- CT
Management
- IV abx
- Myringotomy ± mastoidectomy
What is a cholesteatoma?
Locally destructive expansion of stratified squamous epithelium within the middle ear.
Form in early childhood - repeated ear infection weakening the ear drum leading to it collapsing inwards. Developing into a cyst.
Classification
- Congenital
- Acquired: 2ndry to attic perforation in chronic suppurative OM.