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Clinical Question
Do ventilation tubes prevent hearing loss in children who have otitis media with effusion (OME)?
Evidence-Based Answer
In children with typical hearing and language development, immediate placement of tympanostomy tubes for OME does not improve important long-term outcomes compared with a period of watchful waiting and placement of tubes only if there is no improvement.
Practice Pointers
Children who have OME present with a middle ear effusion but no signs or symptoms of infection. It is thought that because this effusion causes a hearing loss...