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Immunogenicity, otitis media, hearing impairment, and nasopharyngeal carriage 6-months after 13-valent or ten-valent booster pneumococcal conjugate vaccines, stratified by mixed priming schedules: PREVIX_COMBO and PREVIX_BOOST randomised controlled trials

Australian First Nations children are at very high risk of early, recurrent, and persistent bacterial otitis media and respiratory tract infection. With the PREVIX randomised controlled trials, we aimed to evaluate the immunogenicity of novel pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) schedules.

Australian Aboriginal Otitis-Prone Children Produce High-Quality Serum IgG to Putative Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae Vaccine Antigens at Lower Titres Compared to Non-Aboriginal Children

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is the most common bacterial otopathogen associated with otitis media (OM). NTHi persists in biofilms within the middle ears of children with chronic and recurrent OM. Australian Aboriginal children suffer exceptionally high rates of chronic and recurrent OM compared to non-Aboriginal children.

Early detection of hearing loss for infants in Western Australia: Comparison to international benchmarks

To assess the degree to which timely audiological assessment of congenital hearing loss is achieved at our institution - Perth Children's Hospital, Western Australia, and to review cases which breached this timeframe in order to address barriers to timely assessment. The benchmark used to determine timely assessment is that set out by The Joint Committee on Infant Hearing (JCIH) in which diagnostic audiological testing occurs by three months of age for those who do not pass newborn hearing screening.

Common and Rare Genetic Variants That Could Contribute to Severe Otitis Media in an Australian Aboriginal Population

Our goal was to identify genetic risk factors for severe otitis media (OM) in Aboriginal Australians.

Children with secondary care episodes for otitis media have poor literacy and numeracy outcomes: A data linkage study

We examined the association between otitis media and educational attainment in a retrospective population cohort of Western Australian children who participated in the Grade 3 National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy in 2012.

The reliability of video otoscopy recordings and still images in the asynchronous diagnosis of middle-ear disease

To compare the asynchronous assessment of video otoscopic still images to recordings by an audiologist and ear, nose and throat surgeon (ENT) for diagnostic reliability and agreement in identifying middle-ear disease.

Reflections on How Tinnitus Impacts the Lives of Children and Adolescents

The aim of this study was to generate a conceptual framework describing which aspects of children and adolescents' lives are affected by chronic tinnitus.

A collaborative approach towards prevention of otitis media in Aboriginal children

Otitis media is very common in Aboriginal children in Western Australia and chronic ear disease causes major problems in speech and language development and education. Up until recently, most programmes dealing with the problem of OM have focused on clinical interventions rather than prevention. The Enhanced Prevention Working Group was established as part of the WA Child Ear Health Strategy (2017–2021). The Group has worked collaboratively to develop a set of recommendations for prevention of OM in Aboriginal children.

Nasal delivery of a commensal Pasteurellaceae species inhibits nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae colonisation and delays onset of otitis media in mice

We have demonstrated that a single dose of a closely related commensal can delay onset of NTHi otitis media in vivo

Panel 7 – Pathogenesis of otitis media – A review of the literature between 2015 and 2019

The most urgent areas appear to be to continue monitoring the emergence of novel otopathogens, and the need to develop prevention and preventative therapies