What is mastoiditis?

Mastoiditis is a common disease among children and it is also a disease that will have a certain impact on the health of children. This disease is caused by viral infection and can cause a variety of complications. Therefore, during the onset of the disease, it must be treated in time, otherwise it will bring more diseases to the children. Below, I will introduce you to the relevant knowledge about mastoiditis in detail!

1. Causes

It is more common in children. Due to the body's weak resistance, strong pathogenic toxicity, or improper treatment, the middle ear inflammation continues to develop, the entrance of the tympanic sinus is blocked by the swollen mucosa, the pus in the mastoid is poorly drained and accumulates in the mastoid air cell, and the bone wall is compressed by the pus and the influence of its own inflammatory lesions, forming a large pus cavity, which is called confluent mastoiditis or mastoid pyometra. If acute mastoiditis is caused by hemolytic streptococci or influenza bacteria, it is called hemorrhagic mastoiditis. Although acute otitis media is treated, due to insufficient use of antibiotics, the mastoid inflammatory lesions continue to develop, but the systemic and local symptoms are not obvious, so it is not discovered. This is called latent mastoiditis. If acute mastoiditis is not controlled, the inflammation will continue to develop and may cause intracranial and extracranial complications.

II. Treatment

Large doses of antibiotics should be injected early, such as penicillins, cephalosporins, etc. In order to control the disease as quickly as possible, penicillin and streptomycin are injected together at the beginning. At the same time, ear canal secretions are taken for bacterial culture and drug sensitivity testing so that sensitive drugs can be switched to. If the perforation of the tympanic membrane is small and pus drainage is poor, or if the tympanic membrane is not perforated, a myringotomy should be performed to facilitate drainage. If an abscess has formed behind the ear, it can be cut open and drained. If drainage is poor, infection cannot be controlled, or if complications are suspected, mastoidectomy should be performed immediately.

3. Prevention

1. Actively and promptly treat acute otitis media.

2. After acute mastoiditis occurs, it will rupture on its own within a certain period of time and expand outward. Simple mastoidectomy should be performed in time to clean out the purulent drainage in the ear and mastoid to prevent it from expanding outward and forming a postauricular abscess, and expanding inward to form intracranial complications such as meningitis.

3. The patient's physical health should be improved, nutrition should be strengthened, adequate protein and vitamin diet should be provided, and resistance should be enhanced.