Incidence of Acute Otitis Media

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Abstract
The occurrence of acute otitis media was studied over a 1 yr period in a total population of 146,822 persons living in different parts of Finland. Of these 146,822 persons, 4583 experienced a total of 6518 otitis attacks giving an annual incidence rate of 4.44% (4.48% in males and 4.07% in females, P < 0.001). Acute otitis media was strikingly concentrated in the youngest age groups; the highest annual incidence rates, in the order of 50%, was found in infants < 2 yr. Half of all the episodes occurred before the age of 33 mo. The relative risk of getting acute otitis media was about 200 times higher during the first 2-yr of life than as an adult. The occurrence of otitic episodes followed seasonal variations; in urban areas the incidence was significantly (P < 0.001) higher than in the countryside.

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