MICROBIOLOGICAL PROFILE OF EAR INFECTION IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL OF ASSAM.

Alphonse Bizimana, Meenakshi Hariharan, Vidhya Srinivasan, Akshay Chandra Deka*

ABSTRACT

Background: The objective of this study was to know the microbiological pattern of ear infection in patients attending tertiary care hospital. Methods: The present study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital from Assam, India during 1st July 2014 to 30th July 2016. Before conducting the study approval was obtained from Institutional Ethical Committee for human research. Total 226 patients of ear infection cases were included after written informed consent. The ear discharge from each diseased middle ear was collected and inoculated on blood agar, MacConkey’s agar, chocolate agar and Sabourad Dextrose Agar (SDA) media and were incubated at 37°C for 24 hours SDA for 25°C for 72 hours. The organisms were identified by using a standard procedure. Results: Out of 226 samples 214(94.6%) sample culture positive. 243 organisms isolated from 226 samples where single organism was isolated in 214 cases and double organism isolated in 29 cases. Out of total 243 strains isolated 218 were bacterial species and 25 fungal species. Out of 218 bacteria 138 (63.3%) were gram positive and 80 (36.7%) were gram negative organisms. Among gram positive organisms, Staphylococcus aureus 117(84.7%) was predominant organisms isolated and among gram negative organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa 58 (72.5%) was predominant organisms isolated followed by Klebsiella species 11(13.75%). Among fungal species Candida species 17 and Aspergillus niger 8 was commonly isolated. Conclusions: Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas sp. were found to be the common cause of ear infection in our study.

Keywords: Bacteriology, Ear infection, Culture & sensitivity.