Bacteriological agents of chronic discharging ears and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in Ido - Ekiti, Nigeria.

AIMS AND

OBJECTIVES

To identify bacterial agents of chronic discharging ear and determine their antibiotic sensitivities pattern in Ido - Ekiti, Nigeria.

PATIENTS AND

METHODS

Swab specimens of each chronically (>8 weeks) discharging ears of patients with chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) presenting to the Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) clinic of the Federal Medical Centre, Ido Ekiti were bacteriologically cultured aerobically and the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the recovered organisms determined by the modified Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method over a three year period starting from January 2005.

RESULTS

Seventy eight patients with CSOM whose age ranged between 3 months and 85 years were seen during the study period with 73.1% of them having unilateral disease and majority were children < 15 years (71.8%). Out of 99 ear swabs that were examined, 87.9% were culture positive with 90.8% yielding a single isolate. Coliforms (34.7%) were the most frequent isolated group of organisms. Other isolates included Staphylococcus aureus (26.3%), Proteus spp (24.2%), Pseudomonas spp (9.5%) and Klebsiella spp (5.3%). Sparfloxacin and ciprofloxacin showed highest activity on all the isolates unlike cefuroxime and ceftiaxone to which all isolates were resistant.

CONCLUSION

Chronic discharging ear is caused by bacteria agents most sensitive to quinolones but resistant to cefuroxime and ceftiaxone. Treatment of patients with CSOM in Ido-Ekiti with the quinolones is recommended except where contraindicated.