EFFECT OF AEROBIC BACTERIOLOGY ON THE CLINICAL PRESENTATION AND TREATMENT RESULTS OF CHRONIC SUPPURATIVE OTITIS

The effect of aerobic bacteriology on the clinical presentation, compl ications of the disease and long-term results of surgical treatment wa s assessed in a cohort of 368 patients with chronic suppurative otitis media. Bacteriological findings showed no significant difference betw een child and adult patients. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in ch olesteatoma ears more frequently than Pseudomonas aeruginosa, in chron ic ears without cholesteatoma the situation was reversed. Bacteriologi cal findings had no significant effect on the incidence of complicatio ns caused by the disease. Failures after surgical treatment were most common in Pseudomonas ears. The bacteriology had no significant effect on pre-operative hearing levels nor post-operative hearing results. I t was concluded that, in order to improve results of chronic ear suger y, more attention should be paid to pre-operative conservative treatme nt of chronically discharging ears, especially those infected by P. ae ruginosa.