Hospital based study on the effect of flood on change in profile of otomycosis in ethnic Kashmiri population

Abstract

<p class="abstract"><strong>Background:</strong> Kashmir valley witnessed devastating floods in the month of September 2014. The target of the study was to assess the changes in clinical profile of otomycosis and fungi responsible for the disease, in-vitro sensitivity of different fungi to various commercially available antimycotic solutions and clinical efficacy of various topical antimycotic solutions in otomycosis in pre and post flood period.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Methods:</strong> This study was conducted in the Department of ENT, GMC, Srinagar from February 2014 to July 2015. 152 clinically suspected otomycosis patients were subjected to mycological tests to identify the organism. Clotrimazole, terbinafine, lulliconazole, sertaconazole and combination of 1% clotrimazole, chloramphenicol, beclomethasone was given randomly in equal number of these patients and were followed for 4 weeks. Results of different antifungals were evaluated clinically. </p><p class="abstract"><strong>Results:</strong> The trend varies in pre and post flood period. <em>Candida albicans</em> was the most common organism isolated in pre-flood period whereas <em>Aspergillus flavus</em> was the most common organism isolated in post flood period. In the pre flood period <em>Candida</em> and <em>Aspergillus</em> species had equal rate of isolation. However, in post flood period <em>Aspergillus</em> was most common species isolated. Effect of lulliconazole and terbinafine was same in pre and post flood time but serticonazole and fluconazole showed slight variation in effectiveness in post flood period. Clotrimazole and combination of 1% clotrimazole, chloramphenicol and beclomethasone were least effective post flood.</p><p class="abstract"><strong>Conclusions:</strong> Flood had its impact on profile of otomycosis. <em>A. flavus</em> became more common species in post flood period. It was observed that flood had some impact on drug treatment too but further studies and tests are needed to confirm the effectiveness of drugs on treatment of otomycosis.</p>