Otitis Media; Etiology and Antibiotics Susceptibility among Children under Ten Years Old in Hillah city,Iraq

Abstract

Background: This is an aerobic bacteriological study of acute otitis media to identify common pathogens and to evaluate their antibiotic susceptibility pattern. Otitis media is a major health problem of children in low income countries.

Objectives: This study was done to determine the bacterial isolates and antimicrobial susceptibility of otitis media from children under 10 years old.

Methods: Infected samples were collected from sixty (190) children under ten years old suffering from otitis media from out clinic and Al-Hillah education Hospital in babil, Iraq. Over a 9 months period (September 2012 to May 2013). Antimicrobial susceptibility tests were performed using disc diffusion technique as per the standard Kirby-Bauer method.

Results:

In this study, 48% of patients were males and 52% were females. Patients ranged in age from 0 to 8 years old. 34 percent of patients had no previous visit and regular treatment. The results of the bacteriological studies on the 190 cases showed that microbiological culture was yielded from 190 samples. Pure cultures consist of (166/30.1%) had a single organism isolated from the middle ear discharge, while the remaining or Mixed growth (367/66.37%) had two or more organisms isolated. There were (20/3.62%) samples who had a no culture with any microorganism isolated

Conclusion: Otitis media linked with high levels of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria is a major health concern in all age groups of the study population. There is a need for culture and susceptibility test facilities for appropriate antimicrobial therapy of otitis media and antimicrobial resistant infections.