ABSTRACT
Little is known about the bacteriology of the middle meatus in children. Therefore, middle meatal samples were obtained from 50 children who underwent adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy, while a group of 50 children submitted to minor non-ENT surgical procedures, were used as a control group. Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Streptococcus pneumoniae were the most frequent cultured organisms, not only in the ENT group (in 68, 50 and 60% of the children respectively) but also in the control group (40, 34 and 50%). These three potential pathogens were more frequently seen among the children of the ENT group but only for H. influenzae was the observed difference statistically significant (P = 0.009). On semiquantitative analysis, there seemed to be more negative cultures or cultures with only a few colonies in the control group, while the richer cultures were obtained from the ENT group. Again, only for H. influenzae, these differences reached a statistical significance (P = 0.003). Streptococcus viridans and Neisseria species, both organisms that might be able to inhibit colonisation by some of the pathogens, were more frequently cultured in the control than in the ENT group: Strep. viridans 30 vs. 10% (P = 0.025) and Neisseria species 14 vs. 2% (P = 0.069).
Subject(s)
Ear, Middle/microbiology , Haemophilus Infections/microbiology , Neisseriaceae Infections/microbiology , Streptococcal Infections/microbiology , Child, Preschool , Ear, Middle/immunology , Female , Haemophilus Infections/immunology , Humans , Immunoglobulin A/immunology , Immunoglobulin G/immunology , Male , Neisseriaceae Infections/immunology , Retrospective Studies , Streptococcal Infections/immunologyABSTRACT
Middle meatus samples were cultured in 120 children undergoing adenotonsillectomy with, or without, insertion of ventilation tubes. Every child (except one) had positive cultures. Haemophilus influenzae (62 per cent of the children), Moraxella catarrhalis (53 per cent) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (48 per cent) were the most commonly isolated bacteria. The presence of Moraxella catarrhalis and (to a lesser extent) Streptococcus pneumoniae was higher in younger children, while Haemophilus influenzae was cultured independently of age. Culture results of these middle meatal samples, carefully taken in order to avoid any contamination, probably reflect some ongoing sinus infection in these children requiring adenotonsillectomy. The problems inherent in the interpretation of surface cultures are addressed.
