Microbiological study of otitis media

Otitis media is a destructive & persistent disease with irreversible sequelae. It is associated with bacterial or fungal aetiology.

1) To identify bacterial isolates causing ear infection and their antibiogram. 2) To identify fungal isolates 3) To screen all smears for Acid Fast Bacilli (AFB).

This study was conducted for 1 year. Pus was collected with sterile swab before commencement of antibiotics, from 98 patients of otitis media, attending ENT OPD. Gram's staining & Gabbet's staining (Modified ZN staining) was done for all the samples. Bacterial & fungal isolates were identified by standard methods. Antibiotic susceptibility testing of bacterial isolates was carried out by Kirby Bauer's disc diffusion method.

Age of the patients studied, ranged from 2 to 68 years. Of the 98 patients, 48 were females and 50 were males. Bacterial isolates and their incidence were: Staphylococcus aureus(31%), CONS(6%), Pseudomonas species(20%), Klebsiella species(7%), Proteus species(5%). 4 fungi were isolated. 2 samples showed acid fast bacilli on Gabbet's staining.

The most common organisim causing Otitis media in this study was Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). Antibiotic treatment should be individualized depending on antibiotic sensitivity report, to reduce chronicity, complications & morbidity. It also showed in the study that, doing acid fast staining routinely could be of help as it helped to diagnose two cases of pulmonary tuberculosis.