The Discharging Ears In Adults In Ibadan, Nigeria Causative Agents And Antimicrobial Sensitivity Pattern

Abstract

In an attempt to study the microbiology of discharging ears, ear swabs were taken from 347 adult patient with discharging ears in the University College Hospital, Ibadan between March 1995 and February 1997. The presumptive diagnosis and indication for ear swabbing were chronic suppurative otitis media (67.1%), acute suppurative otitis media (14.4%) and otitis externa (18.2%). Using standard microbiological methods, 82.4% of the patients had microbes in their ears. These were identified as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (34.6%), Staphylococcus aerus (19.4%), Klebsiella species (17.4%) and Proteus species (12.5%). Others were Candida albicans and Aspergillus species.
Susceptibility result showed that ceftazidime, azithromycin, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime and gentimicin were active against majority of the bacterial isolates and are therefore recommended as first line drugs, while the quinolones should be kept as reserve durgs in the management of these conditions. In addition antifungal cream should be used as wick in dressing, as well as systemic metrondazole to take care of the anaerobes.


(Af. J. of Clinical and Experimental Microbiology: 2002 3(1): 3-5)