Occurrence of otitis media in children and assessment of treatment options.

BACKGROUND: Otitis media is a more frequent occurrence in children, and the disease may progress from an acute to chronic state if appropriate and timely intervention is not initiated. METHODS: A total of 212 children aged 6 months to 10 years were examined and treated for otitis media, in a 13-month hospital-based study. RESULTS: Acute otitis media was diagnosed in 130 (61.3 per cent) of the patients. There were 82 (38.7 per cent) chronic suppurative otitis media cases. The incidence of acute otitis media and chronic suppurative otitis media in the first year of life was 54.6 per cent and 45.1 per cent respectively. Chronic suppurative otitis media patients were assigned to one of three treatment groups. Recovery occurred in 70.4 per cent of amoxicillin-treated patients, in 88.9 per cent of amoxicillin-clavulanic acid treated patients and in 96.4 per cent of culture and antibiotic sensitivity test patients. Relapses were seen only in the amoxicillin (five cases) and amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (two cases) groups. CONCLUSION: The success rate in patients treated with antibiotics makes this option mandatory for an established diagnosis.

[FEATURES OF OTOGENIC INTRACRANIAL COMPLICATIONS AT THE PRESENT STAGE].

A retrospective analysis of treatment was made in 127 adult patients with acute and chronic otitis media complicated by suppurative-inflammatory pathology of the brain. Purulent meningitis was revealed in 52 (40.9%) of hospitalized patients. Meningoencephalitis was often diagnosed in the cases of acute otitis media (15.4%) and in cases of chronic otitis (22.7%). The otogenic brain abscess was detected in 13.5% of otitis media cases and it was noted to be twice frequent (33.3%) in cases of purulent otitis media. The patients 124 (97.6%) have been operated. An extended mastoidotomy and antromastoidotomy were performed in the acute purulent otitis media. An extended radical operation on the ear was applied in case of chronic otitis media. Performance of craniotomy and complete removal of the abscess using modern systems of neuronavigation showed a higher clinical efficacy as compared with transtemporal approach during sanitizing intervention on the ear including the opening and abscess drainage in surgery of otogenic abscesses of the brain.

Bacteriology of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in children in Garissa district, Kenya: a point prevalence study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify by type and sensitivity to drugs the bacteria found in ears of school-going children with chronic otitis media in Garissa district. STUDY DESIGN: This was a descriptive prevalence study of CSOM bacterial flora in eligible ears conducted among a cohort of children attending public and private primary as well as Islamic religious schools, screened for chronic ear discharge in Garissa district, Kenya. Procedure and bacteriological techniques: We used sterile swab-sticks to collect a specimen of the discharge from eligible ears of consenting pupils at the induction stage of the zinc supplementation trial for treatment of chronic suppurative otitis media conducted between January and July 2010. All pupils below 18 years present on day of visit were eligible. Both aerobic and anaerobic bacterial cultures were done to identify clinically and epidemiologically important bacteria. Sensitivity tests were based on disc diffusion methods. Results are presented as frequencies and proportions. RESULTS: Of the pupils seen, 61% were still in pre- or lower primary school. Majority were aged 13 and 14 years. Of the 261 ear swab samples processed, 336 isolates - either in mixed or pure flora - were identified, being almost exclusively aerobes. Proteus spp., Enterococcus, Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas spp. were isolated in 32.7%, 28.6%, 12.8% and 11.3% respectively. Proteus was susceptible to majority of the antibiotics tested for, while Enterococcus was poorly susceptible. CONCLUSIONS: Aerobic bacteria were most prevalent in this study. Several of the bacteria identified are known to require iron for their growth. This may be important for CSOM treatment if biofilm formation is involved in pathogenesis. Majority of the isolates were susceptible to basic antibiotics compared to Enterococcus bacteria. This portends an important consideration for clinical management and therapeutic decision-making. Additionally, given the prevalence of Enterococcus bacteria, which is an indicator of faecal contamination of the environment, there is need to consider relevant public health components in managing childhood CSOM besides the clinical ones alone.

A case-control study of nutritional factors associated with chronic suppurative otitis media in Yemeni children.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Undernutrition and chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) in children are common in low resource settings, but there are few studies of their interactions. The aim is to evaluate nutritional factors associated with CSOM in Yemeni children. SUBJECTS/METHODS: A case-control study of 75 children with CSOM and 74 healthy controls. Assessment included dietary history, anthropometry, haemoglobin (Hb) and serum analytes zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), selenium (Se), iron, calcium, phosphate (PO(4)) and total 25-hydroxy vitamin D (25(OH)D). RESULTS: Cases had lower mean Z-scores for weight-for-age, weight-for-height, body mass index and mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC) (all P<0.05), and lower mean concentrations of serum Zn (P=0.032), Se (P<0.001) and calcium adjusted for albumin (P=0.026). Age-adjusted Hb and iron biomarkers did not differ between cases and controls. There was high prevalence of low serum Zn concentration (≥ 90%) and vitamin D deficiency in both cases (80%) and controls (96%). Duration of ear discharge was negatively correlated with total 25(OH)D (P=0.028), calcium adjusted for albumin (P<0.001), PO(4) (P=0.002), transferrin receptor/log ferritin ratio (P<0.001) and Cu (P<0.001), and positively correlated with child age and MUAC (both P<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Children with CSOM were more undernourished than controls with lower mean serum Zn, Se and calcium concentrations. Vitamin D-deficient and iron-replete children had longer duration of infection, although this association was lost with age adjustment. Trials evaluating specific micronutrients are required in order to investigate specific nutrient-infection interactions in CSOM.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa in chronic suppurative otitis media: sensitivity spectrum against various antibiotics in Karachi.

BACKGROUND: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a prevailing and notorious infection in developing countries causing serious local damage and threatening complications. Early and effective treatment based on the knowledge of causing micro organisms and their sensitivity results in good clinical recovery and prevents from damage and complications. Pseudomonas aeruginosa is most common pathogen causing CSOM in Pakistan. The objective of this study is to identify incidence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa involved in CSOM and sensitivity against commonly prescribed antibiotics. METHODS: A total of 263 patients with unilateral or bilateral chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) were enrolled in the study at Department of ENT, Karachi Medical and Dental College & Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi, Pakistan from December 2004 to May 2006. Sterile cotton swabs were used to collect pus from discharging ears and plated on Blood agar and MacConkey agar for 24 to 48 hours. Antibiotics susceptibility was tested by Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) method using Mueller-Hinton agar. RESULTS: Overall microbiology of 267 samples from 263 patients was studied including 4 of bilateral discharge. Polymicrobial growth was present in 8 samples. A total of 275 bacterial isolates were studied. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (40%) and Staphylococcus aureus (30.9%) were the most common bacterial agents found in CSOM. MIC was done for Pseudomonas aeruginosa only as it was the commonest pathogen found in CSOM. Sensitivity pattern of Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed that amikacin was active against 96% of isolates followed by ceftazidime 89%, ciprofloxacin 85%, gentamicin 81%, imipenem 76%, aztreonam 42% and ceftriaxone 21%. CONCLUSIONS: Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common bacteria isolated from chronic discharging ears followed by Staphylococcus aureus. Amikacin was found to be the most suitable drug followed by ceftazidime and ciprofloxacin for Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The resistance against ceftriaxone and aztreonam was found to be very high.

Prevalence of CSOM among rural school going children.

A prospective study was carried out from January 2001 to December 2002 to find the prevalence of CSOM among rural school going children. Altogether 225 students aged 4-13 years from five primary schools and junior high schools of Magura district were interviewed and examined. 28 (12.44%) children were found to have CSOM. Out of these 28 cases, 25 came from lower and 3 from middle income group families. No case of CSOM was found in higher income group family. In this study 73.33% mothers were not aware of CSOM. 60% mothers had no knowledge about treatment and sequelae of CSOM. Only (5.78%) people use cotton bud to clean ear while majority use unhygienic materials like matchstick, cloth with stick and chicken feathers. Treatment seeking pattern was observed in our study. 10.71% cases did not receive any treatment and remaining 89.29% received treatment of which 25% from MBBS doctor or Hospital and 7.14%, 35.71%, 10.71%, 10.71% received it from Kabiraj, Quack, Homeopathy doctor, and salesman of pharmacy respectively.

Otitis media supurada por vibrio cólera tipo no-01 / Suppurative otitis media by non-01 Vibrio cholera

El vibrio cholerae tipo no-01 es un microorganismo de distribución mundial con hábitat acuático, que ocasionalmente produce patología en el hombre. Existe relación directa demostrada entre la ingesta de productos de mar y/o la realización de actividades marinas, y la infección por vibrio. La clínica que produce con más frecuencia es la gastrointestinal y en particular la enfermedad diarreica. Por otro lado, la otitis media por vibrio cholerae tipo no01 es extremadamente infrecuente en nuestro medio, aunque si se revisa la bibliografía, su incidencia parece haber aumentado durante los últimos años. Se presenta un caso clínico de otitis media supurada por vibrio cholerae tipo no-01 y se revisa la literatura. (AU)