Otitis externa infection in Jordan. Clinical and microbiological features.

OBJECTIVE Aims of this study were to investigate the clinical findings and to identify causative microorganisms and their susceptibility to antibiotics in otitis externa infection. METHODS The symptoms and signs, as well as the bacterial and fungal flora from the auditory canal of one hundred and eighty patients (100 males and 80 females), age range from 6 month to 19-years old suffering from acute otitis externa were studied from January 2001 to December 2002. One way ANOVA and Least Significant Difference (LSD) were carried out for statistical analysis. RESULTS Pain was the most common symptom (97.2%) while, itching and difficulty in hearing were the least common (11.7 %). Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.aeruginosa) was isolated from (41.7%) which showed the best susceptibility to ciprofloxacin (93.4%), aspergillus species from (19.4%), candida albicans from (10.6%), staphylococcus aureus from (16.1%) which showed the best susceptibility to amikacin and ciprofloxacin (96.5%), proteus mirabilis from (2.8%) which showed the best susceptibility (100%) to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, imipenem and ofloxacin, anaerobic bacteria from (2.2%); and no bacteria growth was observed in (7.2%). There was a significant variation relating signs, symptoms and sex in favor of males (P=0.03). Significant seasonal variation in otitis externa infection was observed (P <0.05). CONCLUSION Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most frequently isolated pathogenic microorganism, which showed the best susceptibility to ciprofloxacin. Pain was the most common symptom.