Treatment of Negative Middle Ear Pressure and Serous Otitis Media With Politzer's Technique: An Old Procedure Revisited

This study sought to monitor changes in middle ear pressure with tympanometry after a simplified home politzerization maneuver in children who had excessive negative intratympanic pressure and/or serous otitis media. The mean middle ear pressure for 23 children was -201 mm H2O, whereas seven subjects displayed a flat tympanogram that was consistent with the medical diagnosis of serous otitis media. Middle ear pressure measurements with tympanometry at five and ten minutes after politzerization indicated successful tympanic ventilation in 91% and 85% of the ears, respectively. For children with negative intratympanic pressures of -250 mm H2O, data suggested that ventilation was sustained for at least 30 minutes. In general, results lend support for using home politzerization as an alternative or associative treatment in children with high negative pressure and/or serous otitis media.