Aerobic bacteriology of chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma in children

Medical management of chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma in children was shown recently to be efficacious. We undertook a prospective study in order to determine 1) the organisms associated with the disease and their sensitivity to various antibiotics and 2) their association with clinical variables. Pseudomonas was isolated from 84% of the patients, enteric gram-negative bacilli from 32%, Staphylococcus aureus from 20%, streptococci from 14%, and Hemophilus influenzae from 15%. Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the sole isolate in 48 of the 128 patients (38%). The sensitivity of P aeruginosa (78 isolates) was 100% (of isolates) to mezlocillin and ciprofloxacin, 99% to tobramycin and ceftazidime, 97% to piperacillin, 94% to gentamicin, and 78% to ceftriaxone. The isolated organisms and their sensitivity to antibiotics were not associated with age, sex, duration of otorrhea, or the presence of granulation tissue or polyps. We believe that our data may contribute to the appropriate choice of antibiotics when nonsurgical management of chronic suppurative otitis media without cholesteatoma is considered.