The bacterial etiology of otitis media and their antibiogram among children in Gaza Strip, Palestine

BackgroundOtitis media is the most common reason for children to visit a medical practitioner and it is an important cause of preventable hearing loss. It is a common reason for antibiotic prescription in young children. There are no reports or published data on the susceptibility profiles of bacteria isolated from ear infections in the Gaza Strip.ObjectiveTo determine the bacterial etiology of otitis media and their antimicrobial susceptibility profiles among children in Gaza Strip.Patients and methodsA cross-sectional prospective study was performed in ENT clinics in Gaza Strip from October 2012 to June 2013. A total of 120 ear samples collected from children up to 15 years were cultured according to the standard microbiological procedures. Isolates were identified by conventional methods and the antibiotic susceptibility profiles were determined by the standard disk diffusion method.ResultsBacterial isolates included Pseudomonas aeruginosa (32.5%), Staphylococcus aureus (23.3%), Proteus spp. (20%) and Streptococcus spp. (9.2%). The Gram positive bacteria antibiogram revealed high sensitivity to ceftriaxone (∼90%) and cefaclore (∼90–100%). While Gram negative bacteria antibiogram reveals they were sensitive to ciprofloxacin (100%), gentamycin (90–100%), and ceftriaxone (100%) except for P. aeruginosa that showed resistance to many antimicrobial agents by means of multiple drug resistance (MDR).ConclusionLow levels of resistance were found among most clinical isolates in general to the commonly used antibiotics, however, an increased frequency of MRSA was detected. Public awareness should be promoted to reduce risk factors associated with otitis media and empirical treatment protocols should be reviewed.