Bacterial and fungal organisms in otitis externa patients without fungal infection risk factors in Erzurum, Turkey

Abstract

Aim: To describe the bacterial and fungal organisms in otitis externa patients without other risk factors for fungal infections. Study design: Cross sectional cohort descriptive study. Materials and Methods: Ear swabs were obtained from 362 patients aged 1 to 55 years old with clinically diagnosed otitis externa in Erzurum, Turkey, between January 2006 and April 2007, and cultured for aerobic and anaerobic bacteria and fungi, using EMB, 5% sheep's blood, chocolate agar, anaerobic blood agar plate, thioglycollate broth and sabaroud agar using standard microbiological technique to diagnose isolates. Results: 219 cultures were positive and a total of 267 isolates were obtained. Of the isolates, 68.16% (n: 182) were aerobic or facultative bacteria, 1.12 % (3) were anaerobic bacteria, 30.71 % (82) were fungi and 17.5 % (38) were polymicrobial infections. Conclusion: Fungal organisms especially Candida species may be isolated from ears of otitis externa patients without fungal infection risk factors such as ear self-cleaning, local antimicrobial, antifungal or corticosteroid drops or systemic antimicrobial or antifungal agents within the preceding week. Bacterial and fungal cultures may be recommended, and anti-fungal agents may be added, to treatment regimens in patients with otitis externa.

Association of Dermatological Conditions of External Ear with the Use of Cotton Buds

“…9 A number of factors including infection, allergy, dermatological disease and trauma are related. Among them acute bacterial infection is the most common.…”

Identification of pathogens isolated in acute external otitis cases and evaluation of aminoglycoside and quinolone sensitivity

“…28 In a study conducted in Turkey, otomycosis was detected in 22.1 per cent of acute external otitis cases. 24 In another study, it was shown that otomycosis is more common in summer and autumn when the air is hot and humid and that otomycosis patients are mostly women and individuals who wear headscarfs. 26 In our study, the most frequently detected bacteria were pseudomonas species (38.7 per cent), followed by methicillin-sensitive S aureus (13.1 per cent).…”

“…22 In studies conducted in Turkey, P aeruginosa was shown as the causative pathogen in 17–42 per cent of patients 17,23 and S aureus in 10–24 per cent of the patients. 17,24 The variation in the ratios of pathogens depends on differences in geographic region and climate. 23 In our study, pseudomonas species (38.7 per cent) were found to be the most common causative factor in patients.…”

Micobioma: diversidad fúngica en el cuerpo humano

“…Existe controversia si Candida también es agente causal de otomicosis, pues los estudios difieren en los resultados. Algunos la consideran parte de la microbiota cutánea normal de la cavidad auditiva y otros la reportan como agente etiológico predominante de la otomicosis (25) .…”