OME
Also written as: OME — Otitis Media with Effusion
Abbreviation for Otitis Media with Effusion; a condition involving non-infected fluid in the middle ear causing conductive hearing loss.
Full Definition
OME is the standard clinical abbreviation for otitis media with effusion and appears widely in pediatric audiology, otolaryngology, and general practice documentation. It should be expanded on first use in any formal document. Confusion can arise between OME and AOM (acute otitis media), particularly in discharge summaries and referral letters where space constraints may lead to incomplete documentation. Editors working on pediatric audiology literature should be especially alert to this abbreviation and its differentiation from related conditions. It is also sometimes encountered as 'SOM' (serous otitis media) in older literature, which editors should standardize to OME in contemporary documents.
Usage
Usage note: Expand on first use; do not interchange with AOM (acute otitis media) or CSOM (chronic suppurative otitis media).
In Context
- "The GP referral noted a diagnosis of OME, confirmed by audiometric and tympanometric findings." — Pediatric ENT referral letter
- "Ensure OME is expanded as 'otitis media with effusion' at first mention and not confused with AOM in any report." — Medical editing checklist