Microflora and antibiograms of discharging ears in a cross - section of population in Quetta, Balochistan

ABSTRACT

To study the micro flora and the antibiograms of patients with discharging ears due to Otitis externa / Otitis media in Quetta, Balochistan and to analyse and compare the results with other domestic and international studies. Prospective, descriptive study. Department of ENT, Combined Military Hospital, FC Hospital, Saleem Medical Complex and Mideast Hospital Quetta, from January 2003 to June 2005. The ear swabs of 1105 patients with otorrhoea were prospectively analyzed. Antibiotic testing was done using modified Kirby Bauer disc diffusion method. In addition to the usual antibiotics, the two most common topically available antibiotics [gentamicin and Ofloxacin] were also tested. There were 1057 positive cultures for organisms from the 1105 patients with 1125 isolates. The most common causal organisms isolated were staphylococcus aureus [40%] with 10.29% Methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureus [MRSA] positive followed by pseudomonas aeruginosa [38.4%]. Fungi accounted for 3.7% of isolates. Out of the two antibiotics commonly available as topical eardrops, Ofloxacin has a very high overall susceptibility rate [97.3%] to all organisms cultured. Staphylococcus aureus is the commonest organism, replacing pseudomonas aeruginosa in discharging ears. All the isolates cultured were highly sensitive to Ofloxacin / Ciprofloxacin. Thus apart from fungal infection of the ear Ofloxacin eardrops should be the mainstay of treatment