Association Between Infection and Otitis Media With Effusion Risk in Children: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: To investigate the potential correlation between infection and otitis media with effusion (OME) risk in children.

Data Sources: Electronic databases were searched, including Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, China Biology Medicine disc, China Science and Technology Journal Database, Wanfang Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database.

Review Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted with Revman 5.3 software. Combined odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated to estimate infection-disease association.

Results: In total, 11 studies from 9 articles regarding infection and OME risk were enrolled in this meta-analysis. A significant association between infection and OME was detected for both adenoid samples from the case group (OR, 2.75; 95% CI, 1.43-5.30; = .002) and middle ear fluid samples from the case group (OR, 4.45; 95% CI, 2.52-7.88; < .00001). Subgroup analyses suggested a stronger correlation in African and Asian populations.

Conclusion: This study indicated the correlation between infection and increased risk of OME in children, especially in African and Asian populations. Further well-designed studies regarding the white population are strongly recommended in the future.