A microbiological study of acute otitis media in Bloemfontein

Tympanocentesis was done on 36 patients (57 ears) with acute otitis media. Positive cultures were obtained in 65% of cases. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated organism (25% of ears). There was a high incidence of Staphylococcus epidermidis infection (14% of ears); these organisms are considered to be true pathogens. Haemophilus influenzae seemed to be less common than in other series and in all our cases were non-producers of beta-lactamase. Penicillin and amoxycillin appeared to be equally effective and there seemed to be little difference between responses to cefaclor, erythromycin and co-trimoxazole.