Water protection in patients with tympanostomy tubes in tympanic membrane: a randomized clinical trial.

Objective: To analyze the incidence of otorrhea in the postoperative period of patients submitted to tympanotomy to place ventilation tube, and who did not protect the ear when exposed to water. Methods: Open, randomized-controlled trial. Eighty patients submitted to unilateral or bilateral ear grommet tympanostomy were included and divided into two groups: Auricular Protection and Non-Protection to water during bathing and activities in water. Results: In the first postoperative month, the Non-Protection Group presented a significant increase in the number of patients with otorrhea and in the incidence. Four patients of the Protection Group (11%) presented at least one episode of otorrhea in this period, representing an incidence of 0.11 (standard deviation +/- 0.32) episode/month, whereas in the Non-Protection Group there were 12 episodes (33%; p= 0.045) and incidence of 0.33 (+/- 0.48; p= 0.02). Between the 2nd and the 13th postoperative months, there was no difference between groups. Seven patients in the Protection Group (20%) had at least one episode of otorrhea, representing an incidence of 0.04 (+/- 0.09) episodes/month, while in the Non-Protection Group there were seven episodes (22%; p= 0.8) and incidence of 0.05 (+/- 0.1; p= 0.8). Conclusion: Patients who underwent ear protection when exposed to water had a lower incidence of otorrhea in the first postoperative month than those who did not undergo protection. From the second month, there was no difference between groups.