Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28357818›Full record

ArticleDiving and hyperbaric medicine2017

Otitis externa in military divers: more frequent and less harmful than reported.

Thijs T Wingelaar, Pieter-Jan Am van Ooij, Rob A van Hulst

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Diving and hyperbaric medicine, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.4field-weighted citation impact, top 38% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Management of tympanic membrane retractions: a systematic review.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2022
    Pooled it
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  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Thijs T WingelaarRoyal Netherlands Navy Diving Medical Center, Rijkszee en marinehaven, 1780 CA Den Helder, The Netherlands tt.wingelaar@mindef.nl.
Pieter-Jan Am van OoijDiving Medical Center, Royal Netherlands Navy.
Rob A van HulstDepartment of Anesthesiology, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam.
University of Amsterdam · NL

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionAlthough otitis externa (OE) is a common disease, data related to (military) divers are limited. This study aimed to determine the incidence of OE in military divers during their initial training. We also wished to consider seasonal influences on incidence and whether early detection increases completion of the diving course.

methodsFrom January 2011 to October 2016 the Royal Netherlands Navy Diving School trained 189 divers. Up to December 2015 we used the training records for the analyses. From January 2016 onward all divers were prospectively screened. Pearson's chi-squared 2 and Fisher's exact tests were used to analyse the data.

resultsIn the 162 included divers, 30 cases of OE were identified. The incidence in 2016 was significantly higher than in 2011-2015 (17/35 (49%) versus 13/127 (10%), P < 0.001). Almost all cases developed after three weeks of diving. No influence of season was found (P = 0.354). Early diagnosis and treatment of OE does not seem to affect completion of diving courses (P = 0.28). Only in three cases did a diver have to discontinue the course due to OE. DISCUSSION: This study suggests that OE is more frequent among military divers than earlier reported, most likely caused by prolonged water exposure. Diving activities can often be continued with standard topical treatment.

Indexed as

Chi-Square DistributionDivingFemaleHumansIncidenceMaleMilitary PersonnelNetherlandsOtitis ExternaSeasonsStatistics, NonparametricEar infectionScuba divingTreatment

Identifiers

PMID28357818
PMCPMC6147244
OpenAlexW2615880268

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.