Bacteriological examination of the ear smear

General Information

Inflammatory pathologies of the ear are represented by inflammation of the outer ear and middle ear.

The saprophytic flora of the outer bay is represented by:
- Corynebacteria and coagulase-negative staphylococcus.
- Less typical bacterial cultures are: micrococci, saprophytic Neisseria.
– Fungi: Alternaria, penicillins and candida (not albicans).

external ear Inflammation is characterized by signs of skin infections. Infection may occur:
- mechanical damage by sharp or blunt objects
- Streptococcus pyogenes invasion
– When water enters the external auditory canal, maceration of the skin surface and invasion of pathogens such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (when swimming in fresh water) and Vibrio alginolyticus (when swimming in ocean water) are possible.
- After long-term antibiotic therapy, the development of fungal microflora such as: Candida albicans and Aspergillus is common.

middle ear Considering anatomical-physiological factors, inflammation is common in children from 3 months to 3 years.
The middle ear, like the inner ear, is a sterile environment, and the invasion of infectious agents may occur through spread from adjacent or neighboring anatomical structures.
- Nasopharyngeal infections are important in the development of middle ear inflammation, during which congestion of the Eustachian tube (tube connecting the nose, throat and middle ear) obstructs the drainage of the middle ear and inflammation develops due to the spread of local microflora.
Tonsillitis and pharyngitis in children are often complicated by inflammation of the middle ear, which is facilitated by the age-related anatomical feature - the horizontal location of the trachea (windpipe).
- Adenoid growths contribute to the development of inflammation of the middle ear, due to the course of a chronic inflammatory infectious process in them.

The main causes of otitis media are:: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis

outer and middle Chronic inflammation of the ear During this time, anaerobic microflora predominates: Peptostreptococcus spp., Bacteroides fragilis, Prevotella melaninogenica, Porphyromonas, which may be accompanied by Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other gram-negative bacteria.
Study sample:

In case of otitis externa, the exudate separated from the surface of the external auditory canal or ear sink is the research material. In the case of middle ear infections, the research material is the exudate obtained as a result of tympanocentesis (puncture of the eardrum) or spontaneous perforation of the eardrum.

Interpretation:
During inflammation of the middle ear, when the research material is obtained by the tympanocentesis procedure, the microflora is usually represented by a single cause, and it is easy to carry out an antibioticogram.
In the case of otitis externa, the question of the antibiotic regimen is complicated, because the inflammatory exudate on the surface of the skin is usually represented by several types of microflora.