Influence of depressivity on quality of life in patients with chronic otitis media

Patients with increased depression symptoms and chronic otitis media (COM) benefit less from reconstructive middle ear surgery. Otorrhoea, hardness of hearing as well as multiple middle ear surgeries are factors effecting disease-specific QoL (quality of life).

We interviewed 100 patients with COM applying the Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test 15 (COMOT-15), Zurich Chronic Middle Ear Inventory (ZCMEI-21) and Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-D) and calculated the impact of depressiveness on disease-specific QoL by multivariate regression analysis.

The results showed that Patients with COM and increased depressiveness show a stronger impairment of disease-specific QoL after ear surgey (COMOT-15 β = 0.45/ ZCMEI-21 β = 0.61). This effect stayed statistically significant even after adjustment for the absolute hearing level, the extent of the middle ear pathology as well as the somatic comorbidities (COMOT-15 β = 0.41/ ZCMEI-21β = 0.56).

Therefore evaluation tools for acquisition of QoL and mental health as well as sufficient consultation preoperatively should be considered in clinical practice.

Publication

Reetz, T., Lailach, S., Garthus-Niegel, S., Marcus, N., Zahnert, T., 2019. Einfluss von Depressivität auf die krankheitsspezifische Lebensqualität bei Patienten mit chronischer Otitis media, in: Abstract- Und Posterband – 90. Jahresversammlung Der Deutschen Gesellschaft Für HNO-Heilkunde, Kopf- Und Hals-Chirurgie e.V., Bonn – Digitalisierung in Der HNO-Heilkunde. Presented at the Laryngo-Rhino-Otologie. https://doi.org/10.1055/s-0039-1686249