Abstract
Chronic otitis media with effusion (COME) is a common cause of hearing loss in children and adults. Laryngopharyngeal reflux (LPR) is often overlooked in the clinical management of COME complicated by LPR. This study aimed to investigate the presence and concentration of trypsin and pepsin in the middle ear effusion (MEE), as well as the recurrence rate of otitis media with effusion (OME) in COME patients with trypsin-/pepsin-positive MEE after acid-suppressive treatment (AST). In this study, trypsin and pepsin were found in the MEE of COME patients. Follow-up results showed that the recurrence rate of OME within 1 year was significantly lower in the AST group than in the non-AST group. Taken together, patients with COME can be offered pepsin detection of MEE, and if the pepsin test is positive, acid-suppressing drugs such as proton pump inhibitors could be recommended to prevent the recurrence of OME.