Fungal and bacterial flora of chronic suppurative otitis media in amritsar (punjab).

Ear discharge specimens from 182 clinically diagnosed cases of chronic suppurative otitis media were cultured for isolation of fungi and bacteria. Positive fungal cultures were obtained in 13.7 %; present alone in 7.6% and incombination with various bacteria in 6.1%. Bacteria alone were present in 60.4% cases. The fungal isolates were candida albicans (60%) and Aspergillus (40%). Bacterial isolates showed the predominence of pseudomonas aeriginosa (44.8%) followed by Staphylococcus aureus (20.4%). Newer antibiotics like Cefotaxime, Gentamicin and Ciprofloxacin were found to be more effective against all the gram positive and negative isolates.