Does the quality of the material in the ventilation tube can affect the extrusion rate?

Abstract

Learning Objectives: Objective: The aim of this study is to assess relationship between the material of ventilation tubes(VTs) and VTs extrusion time, among various factors affecting the extrusion rate of ventilation tubes. Study Design: A prospective, clinical trial. Method: This clinical trialwas conducted in 39 patients, 78 ears withVTs insertion.The 1.02sizedVTwas placed in one ear, the 1.14 sized VTwas placed in contralateral ear. The patients was evaluated about VTs extrusion history following every month. The extrusion time of VTs in the ears was compared with the contralateral ears. Date included ventilation tube type, discharge characters(scanty, serous, mucoid, glue), multiple intubation( first, multiple), comorbidities, passive smoking, early occlusion, otorrhea or inflammation findings, and age. Tominimize additional complicating factors, patients undergoing concurrent tonsillitis, adenoid hypertrophy, siniusitis, and allergic rhinitis were excluded from this study. Result: Therewere 41 patients in this study, with a median age of 3.5 years. The mean extrusion time of 1.02 sized ventilation typewas 7.94 months, whereas 1.14 sized ventilation typewas 6.33 months. In the 1.02 sized VTs, average extrusion time was significantly longer (p = 0.02). When the mean extrusion rate associated with age, discharge character, multiple intubation, comorbidities, and otorrheawas compared with ventilation tubes respectively, there were no significant differences. In addition, it seemed early occlusion and passive smoking affected slightly extrusion time, but no statistical significance. Conclusion: There was a small but statistically singnificant increase in the extrusion rate of VTs in patients with the 1.02 sized ventilation tube type. Compared with the 1.02 sized VT and the 1.14 sized VT, the quality of material in ventilation tube was significantly related to the VTs extrusion time. Thus, It would need to consider why the nature of the material affected extrusion rate.