RESUMO
Background and rationale@#Acute otitis externa is a disease that significantly affects the life and health of people, mostly caused by bacteria, fungi, virus and irritation from chemicals. Besides that, it can also be caused by trauma such as ear picking, spinning ears, swimmer’s ear and wiping the ear too hard, and if not treated in time serious complications are possible. @*Objective@#To study the risk factors associated with acute otitis externa at the ENT Department, Mahosot Hospital.@*Methodology@#This study was cross-sectional, descriptive study among patients with ear-ache and acute otitis externa. Data were collected by using questionnaire interviewed face to face and by ear examination. The data were entered into Epi-data and analyzed by using SPSS software.@*Results@#Of 186 participants, 62.9% had otitis externa, with a mean (95%CI) age of 32 (01-76) years. The commonest age group was those aged less than 15 years old with 29%. Males were 1.88 times more likely to present with otitis externa than females. Occupational groups at risk of disease are farmers/laborers/ housewife/others and those living in rural areas was 2.7 times having acute otitis externa. Those who had swum or had travelled in the forest and ear picking had a higher frequency of acute otitis externa (1.6 times) and patients who regularly cleaned their ears with a cotton swab were 1.39 times of having otitis externa and some patients who used hair clip for ear picking had a higher frequency of acute otitis externa (2.44 times).@*Conclusion@#Most of patients have common clinical manifestations of which are tinnitus, earache, swelling or redness of the ears, hearing loss and itching. Demographic characteristics, history, and ear health care behaviors are associated with acute otitis external.
RESUMO
Otite externa aguda é a inflamação do conduto auditivo externo, e plantas medicinais podem ser utilizadas, na cultura popular, para seu tratamento. OBJETIVO: Avaliar atividade antimicrobiana in vitro de Aleolanthus suaveolens, Caryophyllus aromaticus, Cymbopogon citratus, Matricaria chamomila, Pithecellobium avaremotemo, Plectranthus amboinicus e Ruta graveolens sobre agentes etiológicos de otite externa. CASUÍSTICA E MÉTODOS: A concentração inibitória mínima de extratos e óleos destas plantas foi obtida em amostras de otite externa. RESULTADOS: Staphylococcus aureus em 10 culturas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa em 8, Pseudomonas aeruginosa e Staphylococcus aureus, em associação, em 5 culturas e Candida albicans e Candida krusei em 4 culturas. P. aeruginosa foi resistente a todos os extratos e óleos essenciais testados; os extratos de A. suaveolens, P. avaremotemo e de R. graveolens foram inativos, o óleo essencial de C. aromaticus e M. chamomila foram ativos contra 3 cepas de S. aureus e as cepas de Candida; Sete das cepas de S. aureus foram sensíveis ao extrato de P. amboinicus, mas o óleo não mostrou atividade, 4 cepas de S.aureus e as cepas de Candida foram sensíveis ao óleo essencial de R. graveolens. CONCLUSÃO: Algumas plantas apresentaram resultados satisfatórios, dependendo do agente etiológico, porém se faz necessário estudos mais detalhados, para melhorar o aproveitamento destas plantas.
Acute Otitis Externa is an inflammation of the outer auditory meatus, and according to popular saying, medicinal plant extracts can be used in its treatment. AIM: to assess the in vitro antimicrobial activity of the following plants: Aleolanthus suaveolens; Caryophyllus aromaticus; Cymbopogon citratus; Matricaria chamomila; Pithecellobium avaremotemo; Plectranthus amboinicus and Ruta graveolens on the germs that cause otitis externa. MATERIALS AND METHODS: the minimum inhibitory concentration of extracts and oils from these plants was obtained from otitis externa samples. RESULTS: Staphylococcus aureus in 10 cultures, Pseudomonas aeruginosa in 8, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus together in 5 cultures and Candida albicans and Candida krusei in 4 cultures. P. aeruginosa was resistant to all oils and extracts tested; extracts from A. suaveolens, P. avaremotemo and R. graveolens were inactive; the essential oil from C. aromaticus and M. chamomila were active against 3 strains of S. aureus and the Candida strains; seven of the S. aureus strains were sensitive to the P. amboinicus extract; however, the oil was inactive against 4 S. aureus strains and the Candida strains were sensitive to the R. graveolens essential oil. CONCLUSION: depending on the etiological agent, some plants presented satisfactory results, however we still need more detailed studies in order to better use these plants.