Bashir Ahmed, Amer Sabih Hydri, Ayub Ahmed Khan Afridi, Aamer Ejaz, Shahid Farooq, Sabeen Khurshid Zaidi.
Microbiology of ear discharge in Quetta.
J Coll Physicians Surg Pak Jan ;15(9):583-4.

This study was carried out to determine the microbial profile and the antibiograms of patients with discharging ears and note the sensitivity of the commonly prescribed topical ear drops. It was carried out prospectively on 304 out-patients presenting with discharging ears. The inclusion criterion was a discharging ear from otitis externa or otitis media who had not received antibiotic therapy (topical or systemic) for the previous five days. The age of patients ranged from 1 month to 71 years, with the peak age group being between 15-25 years (33%). Males outnumbered the females by 2.3:1. Almost all of the patients were from the poor social strata with only 7% being from the affluent class. From the 304 patients enrolled in the study, there were 286 positive cultures and 303 isolates. Majority i.e. 270 patients (88.81%) had a single organism isolated, 15(4.93%) had 2 while only 1(0.32%) had three organisms isolated. There were 18 patients (5.92%) who had a sterile culture with no organisms isolated suggesting either a non-infective, viral or anaerobe aetiology. The most common causal organisms isolated were Staphylococcus aureus (44%), with 8.9% being MRSA. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (39%) was next followed by Streptococcus sp. (4.6%). Together Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa made up 83% of the total organisms. It was found in this series that Staphylococcus aureus emerged as the most common pathogen in discharging ears in Quetta, replacing Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

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