Middle Ear Barotrauma among Licensed Para-pilots of a Metropolitan City: A Descriptive Cross-sectional Study

INTRODUCTION: Middle ear barotrauma is a tissue injury to the ear secondary to inadequate pressure equalisation between the middle ear and the external environment. Paragliding, though an exciting sport, has its own risks and hazards. Para-pilots experience a variety of ear-related symptoms due to pressure discrepancies between the middle ear and ambient air. Middle ear barotrauma amongst para-pilots is a common yet neglected problem. The aim of this study was to find the prevalence of middle ear barotrauma among licensed para-pilots of a metropolitan city. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted amongst para-pilots practising in different paragliding companies in a metropolitan city. The study was conducted from 10(th) October, 2021 to 22(nd) October, 2021 after getting ethical approval from the Institutional Review Committee (Reference number: 0410202109/2021). A sample size of 76 participants was taken using convenience sampling technique. Data was collected from participants after performing an otoscope examination. The data were entered into Microsoft Excel version 2016 and analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Science Version 22.0. Point estimate at a 95% Confidence Interval was calculated along with frequency and proportion for binary data and mean and standard deviation for continuous data. RESULTS: Out of 76 participants, the prevalence of middle ear barotrauma was 10 (13.2%) (5.58-20.81 at 95% Confidence Interval). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of middle ear barotrauma was similar to other studies done in similar settings.