Care and mobility considerations

The main symptom of chronic suppurative otitis media is the persistent discharge from the ear. The patient will need to carry out regular cleansing of the external ear and may need to apply drops several times a day. Regular visits to surgery or a hospital outpatients department may be needed for cleansing of the ear canal (aural toilet) until the discharge has dried up.

In the majority of cases needing only simple management of the condition there should be no need for help with personal bodily functions unless the person suffers another condition affecting the ability to manage the problem. In such cases any needs would form part of the requirements of the associated condition and should be assessed in that context.

Complications such as hearing loss may produce a need for help with communication and learning. The specific functional effects of hearing loss are covered as a separate topic.

Tinnitus can be a distressing symptom for some but unless it is severe or precipitates a psychological condition such as anxiety or depression it should not produce any care needs in its own right. The care needs of any psychological problems should be assessed on their own merit.

Uncomplicated chronic suppurative otitis media should not produce factors that adversely affecting walking ability. In complicated cases where the organs of the vestibular balance organs are affected there is a potential for mobility to be disrupted by episodic vertigo (giddiness) but this again would need to be assessed on its own merit.

Children with chronic suppurative otitis media or indeed recurrent acute otitis media may develop behavioural disorders associated with pain or hearing loss but needs generated by abnormal behaviour also would have to be considered as a separate entity.

Variability

Chronic suppurative otitis media tends to run a protracted course over several months with episodes of acute infection sometimes being superimposed on the clinical picture.

Apart from short term problems generated by the acute illness there should be no significant variation in the condition or level of care needed.

Amended February 2009