Answer :
Final answer:
Artificial ventilation in the middle ear, such as through tympanostomy tubes, is used to prevent fluid accumulation and secondary bacterial infections like otitis media with effusion (OME) and acute otitis media (AOM), which can cause ear pain, fever, and hearing problems.
Explanation:
In Brainstem Auditory Evoked Potentials (BAEPs), artificial ventilation in the middle ear, such as that with tympanostomy tube placement, is intended to alleviate the problems caused by fluid accumulation, such as otitis media with effusion (OME). This condition can lead to secondary bacterial infections due to the fluid serving as a nutrient-rich environment for microbes.
Children are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections, which, coupled with their anatomical differences and behaviors such as bottle feeding while lying down, can exacerbate the negative pressure in the eustachian tubes. This, in turn, promotes fluid and bacteria movement into the middle ear, leading to otitis media. When effusion and infection are present, as in acute otitis media (AOM).
