Publication:

Antibiotic sensitivity and bacteriology of chronic suppurative otitis media in department of ENT in tertiary care centre St. John’s Medical College and Hospital Bangalore

Background Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a disease of middle ear. The aim of this study is to know the antibiotic sensitivity pattern in CSOM cases attending to ENT out patient department (OPD) in a tertiary care hospital and device an appropriate antibiotic protocol to treat CSOM cases.

Methods This is a prospective observational study. Fifty-eight patients of CSOM who present to the ENT OPD with ear discharge will be studied. Ear swabs of these patients will be collected and sent to microbiology to know the causative bacteria and their drug susceptibility.

Results Of the 58 patients studied 64% were males and 36% were females. Of the organisms isolated Stap aureus (53%) was most common followed by Pseudomonas (36%). All the gram-positive organisms were sensitive to cotimaxozole, amikacin and gentamycin and all gram-negative organisms were sensitive to ciprofloxacin, amikacin and netlimycin.

Conclusions It is better to collect an ear swab in all CSOM cases and then start antibiotics based upon the culture and sensitivity reports in order to improve the results and reduce the emergence of resistant strains, which can happen when antibiotics are prescribed randomly.