Antibiotics in chronic suppurative otitis media: A bacteriologic study

Conservative medical management of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is an important step in achieving a dry ear. Topical antibiotic ear drops a nd aural toilet form the mainstay of medical management of noncholesteatoma tous CSOM. This study analyzes the causal organisms and their sensitivity t o various antibiotics. Out of 382 swabs examined, the major organisms isola ted were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (27.2%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (23.6%). The sensitivity of P aeruginosa was 100% to ceftazidime, 98.9% to ciprofloxacin, 96.3% to gentamicin, and 95.4% to polymyxin B, whereas the s ensitivity of S aureus was 98.6% to ciprofloxacin, 97.4% to cloxacillin sod ium, 96.5% to cotrimoxazole, and 90.7% to gentamicin. Pseudomonas aeruginos a was almost completely resistant to ampicillin (97.6%) and chloramphenicol (96.6%), whereas S aureus was almost completely resistant to ampicillin (7 3.8%) and polymyxin B (98.3%). Among the available topical antibiotic prepa rations for use in the ear, we found that ciprofloxacin and gentamicin are the best choices.