Bacteriologic study of 80 cases of acute otitis media in children

BACKGROUND: Etiology of acute otitis media (AOM) in children is almost unknown in our country. We report 80 cases in order to study the most common pathogens. METHODS: Eighty healthy children diagnosed of acute otitis media were studied between June 1989 and March 1992. Tympanocentesis was performed on each patient with an Abbocath-20G needle connected to a sterile syringe. RESULTS: Some pathogens was isolated in 58 patients (72.5%) and in 22 (27.5%) the culture was sterile or with usual flora of the external canal. S. pneumoniae was recovered in 26 cases (32.5%); H. influenzae in 23 cases (28.7%); S. pyogenes 4 cases (5%); E. coli 4; P. aeruginosa 3 (3.7%); S. aureus 2 (2.5%); anaerobes 2 cases. M. catarrhalis was not found in any cases. In 6 children there was mixed flore. CONCLUSIONS: In 80 children with AOM some pathogens was isolated in 58 cases (72.5%). The most common agents were S. pneumoniae and H. influenzae.