BACKGROUND: Current guidance suggests oral antibiotics can be considered for children with acute otitis media (AOM) and ear discharge, but there is an absence of evidence regarding the relative effectiveness of antibiotic-corticosteroid eardrops.
OBJECTIVE: To establish whether antibiotic-corticosteroid eardrops are non-inferior to oral antibiotics in children with AOM and ear discharge.
METHODS: Open randomized controlled non-inferiority trial set in Dutch primary care.
METHODS: Children were randomized to hydrocortisone-bacitracin-colistin eardrops (five drops, three times per day in the discharging ear(s)) or amoxicillin suspension (50 mg per kilogram of body weight per day, divided over three doses administered orally) for 7 days. The primary outcome was the proportion of children with resolution of ear pain and fever at day 3.
RESULTS: Between December 2017 and March 2023, 58 of the planned 350 children were recruited due to slow accrual for various reasons. Children assigned to eardrops (n = 26) had lower resolution rates of ear pain and fever at 3 days compared to those receiving oral antibiotics (n = 31): 42% vs 65%; adjusted risk difference 20.3%, 95% confidence interval -5.3% to 41.9%), longer parent-reported ear discharge (6 vs 3 days; P = .04), and slightly higher mean ear pain scores (Likert scale 0-6) over days 1-3 (2.1 vs 1.4, P = .02), but received fewer oral antibiotic courses in 3months (11 for 25 children vs 33 for 30 children), and had less GI upset and rash (12% vs 32% and 8% vs 16%, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: Early termination stopped us from determining non-inferiority of antibiotic-corticosteroid eardrops. Our limited data, requiring confirmation, suggest that oral antibiotics may be more effective than antibiotic-corticosteroid eardrops in resolving symptoms and shortening the duration of ear discharge.

UNASSIGNED: beta-lactamase-producing bacteria, especially extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) producers have strong clinical relevance and have been implicated in chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) treatment failures. This study aimed to determine the frequency, antibiogram, and molecular characteristics of ESBL-producing gram-negative bacterial (GNB) pathogens isolated from patients with CSOM.
UNASSIGNED: three hundred (300) ear swab samples collected from patients with active CSOM were analysed using standard microbiological techniques. Antibiogram of pathogens was determined by Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion technique. Phenotypic detection and molecular characterization of ESBL-producing GNB pathogens were performed by double disk synergy test (DDST) and polymerase chain reaction (PCR).
UNASSIGNED: Escherichia coli and P. aeruginosa were more prevalent among CSOM patients with a duration of discharge >2 weeks. The frequency of ESBL producers among the GNB pathogens was 18.3%. Isolates were generally multidrug-resistant but very susceptible (100% - 70.4%) to ciprofloxacin, imipenem, and amikacin. Multiple antibiotic resistance values of the isolates ranged from 0.7-0.8. Polymerase chain reaction showed that blaSHV (47.6%) was the most predominant ESBL genotype. This was followed by blaTEM (25.2%) and blaCTX-M (10.7%) as the least predominant ESBL gene. Concomitant expression of ESBL gene was observed in 13.6% of the isolates.
UNASSIGNED: this study reported the occurrence and spread of β-lactamase-producing bacteria in patients with CSOM infections. It is therefore very crucial to screen for antibiotic-resistant pathogens at early stages of CSOM infections, for proper antimicrobial therapy and to curb the increasing spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have substantially improved survival in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) and chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We report the first association between long-term imatinib use and temporal bone osteonecrosis, highlighting the importance of prompt ENT evaluation of such patients with new otological symptoms.

The bacteriological and antimicrobial sensitivity profile of chronic otitis media (COM) varies from region to region and from time to time and may vary among different age group as well. It was against this backdrop of the changing bacteriological profile and sensitivity pattern together with the paucity of categorically separated data of pediatric and adult population, that the present study was undertaken. A total of 193 patients of clinical diagnosis of cholesteatomatous COM with ear discharge and positive culture results were included in the study. Pus sample was collected under aseptic conditions and cultured on solid media and broth. Isolates were identified via standard biochemical tests and sensitivity patterns analysed. Chi square (χ2) test was used to analyse the significance. Pseudomonas was the most common isolate in both the pediatric (37.80%) and adult (51.46%) population. Methicillin sensitive staph aureus (MSSA) was found exclusively in pediatric population (p = 0.003).Piperacillin-Tazobactam combination was the single most effective drug regimen overall. 75% of pseudomonas isolates in pediatric and 87.5% in adults were sensitive to this regimen in vitro. Amikacin was the next most effective drug with 56.69% sensitivity in pediatric and 64.08% sensitivity in adult population. The present study finds piperacillin-tazobactam as the most effective therapy and pseudomonas as the most common isolate in the study population.In order to address the varying and changing bacteriological and sensitivity profile of chronic otitis media occurring among different geographical regions and also within a region over time, the authors recommend its periodic evaluation.

Serratia species are not as frequent as with more virulent members of the Enterobacteriaceae. However, when infections do arise, they are largely associated with Serratia marcescens. Presently, about 10 species of Serratia are recognized and infections caused by the remaining Serratia species are seldom recorded in literature, as they are not often isolated from clinical specimens. This is a case report of Serratia rubidaea isolated from ear discharge of a 35-year old female patient with no co-morbidities and with known history of chronic otomastoiditis for which the patient had undergone left modified radical mastoidectomy. Isolation of this bacterium from clinical specimens is rare; however, it can be an etiological agent for infections in patients who have undergone invasive procedures. The patient was managed with antibiotics and on otoendoscopy at follow-up, no discharge was observed.

Around 15%-20% of children with acute otitis media present with ear discharge due to a spontaneous tear or perforation of the eardrum (AOMd). Current guidance recommends clinicians to consider oral antibiotics as first-line treatment in this condition. The opening in the eardrum however should allow topical antibiotics to enter the middle ear directly. Local administration of antibiotics does not expose children to systemic side effects and may put less selective resistance pressure on bacteria. Evidence on the effectiveness of this approach in children with AOMd is lacking.
A primary care-based, open, individually randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial. The trial aims to recruit 350 children aged 6 months to 12 years with AOMd and ear pain and/or fever. Participants will be randomised to 7 days of hydrocortisone-bacitracin-colistin eardrops five drops three times daily or amoxicillin oral suspension 50 mg/kg body weight per day, divided over three doses. Parents will keep a daily diary of AOM symptoms, adverse events and complications for 2 weeks. In addition, they will record AOM recurrences, healthcare utilisation and societal costs for 3 months. The primary outcome is the proportion of children without ear pain and fever at day 3. Secondary outcomes include ear pain and fever intensity/severity; days with ear discharge; eardrum perforation at 2 weeks; adverse events during first 2 weeks; costs; and cost effectiveness at 2 weeks and 3 months. The primary analyses will be intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses will be conducted as well.
The medical research ethics committee Utrecht, The Netherlands has given ethical approval (17-400/G-M). Parents/guardians of participants will provide written informed consent. Study results will be submitted for publication in peer-reviewed medical journals and presented at relevant (inter)national scientific meetings.
The Netherlands National Trial Register; NTR6723. Date of registration: 27 November 2017.

UNASSIGNED: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) may result in a serious impairment of the quality of life (QoL). The most relevant characteristics of CSOM are well represented in the \"Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test 15\" questionnaire (COMOT-15). The aim of the study was to translate and adapt the COMOT-15 questionnaire into Italian.
UNASSIGNED: This is a prospective study conducted on 52 Caucasian Italian-speaking patients with CSOM and 52 controls. The linguistic adaptation of the COMOT-15 consisted of the translation of the English version into Italian and reliability assessment of the translation. Psychometric measurements included internal consistency and test-retest reliability.
UNASSIGNED: Cronbach\'s α was 0.95. The test-retest reliability showed a strong positive correlation for total score and all subscales. Age and gender had no influence on the scores. The correlation between the COMOT-15 and the pure tone average showed a significant association for the scale \"Hearing Function\".
UNASSIGNED: The Italian COMOT-15 questionnaire provides good internal consistency and is suitable for QoL evaluation in Italian-speaking patients suffering from CSOM. In addition, it is able to evaluate the subjective symptoms perceived by patients.
Adattamento culturale e validazione in italiano del questionario COMOT-15 nella valutazione degli outcomes del trattamento dell’otite media cronica.
UNASSIGNED: L’otite media cronica suppurativa (OMCS) può determinare una grave compromissione della qualità della vita (QoL) dei pazienti. Gli aspetti clinici più rilevanti dell’OMCS sono rappresentati nel questionario “Chronic Otitis Media Outcome Test 15” (COMOT-15). Scopo dello studio è tradurre e adattare alla lingua italiana il questionario COMOT-15.
UNASSIGNED: Abbiamo effettuato uno studio prospettico di validazione arruolando 52 pazienti con diagnosi di OMCS e 52 controlli. Il processo di adattamento linguistico del questionario è consistito nella traduzione della versione originale inglese in italiano e nella misura dell’affidabilità della stessa. Le misure psicometriche che abbiamo preso in considerazione includevano coerenza interna e affidabilità test-retest.
UNASSIGNED: Il Cronbach α era pari a 0,95. Abbiamo riscontrato una forte correlazione positiva sia per il punteggio totale che per tutte le sottoscale. Età e sesso non hanno influenzato i punteggi. L’analisi delle correlazioni tra COMOT-15 e soglia uditiva per la via aerea ha mostrato un’associazione significativa per la sottoscala “Funzione uditiva”.
UNASSIGNED: Sulla base dei nostri risultati è stato possibile dimostrare che la versione italiana del questionario COMOT-15 da noi proposta ha una buona coerenza interna ed è particolarmente adatta per la valutazione della QoL nei pazienti di lingua italiana affetti da otite media cronica suppurativa. Inoltre, esso è in grado di valutare i sintomi soggettivi percepiti dai pazienti.

UNASSIGNED: Atticoantral, alias unsafe type of CSOM affects the posterosuperior part of the middle ear cleft and is frequently coupled with complications and bony erosions. This study aimed to correlate the high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) temporal bone and intraoperative findings in the patients with the unsafe type of CSOM.
UNASSIGNED: This prospective study included 50 patients (28 males: 22 females; mean age 24 ± 14 years) who presented with clinically suspected unsafe CSOM. All patients underwent HRCT of the temporal bone and subsequent surgical procedure. The intraoperative and histopathological findings were compared with HRCT findings. Descriptive statistics, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value for HRCT were calculated. Student\'s t-test and Chi-square test were performed.
UNASSIGNED: Out of 50 patients, left, right, and bilateral ear involvement were seen in 42% (21/50), 38% (19/50), and 20% (10/50) patients, respectively. Ear discharge was the most common symptom (100%) followed by earache (66%), vertigo (16%), and tinnitus (14%), respectively. Cholesteatoma was reported in 82% (49/60) of ears on HRCT while histopathological and intraoperative evaluation confirmed the diagnosis in 40 out of 49 ears. In 18% (11/60) ears, the cholesteatoma was not diagnosed on HRCT evaluation; however, the intraoperative and histopathological assessment revealed cholesteatoma in six patients while the rest had granulation tissue. For detection of ossicular erosions, tegmen erosions, erosions of facial nerve canal, erosions of sigmoid sinus plate, and erosions of lateral/posterior semicircular canals; HRCT had high sensitivity (86.44%-100%) and specificity (93.33%-100%).
UNASSIGNED: HRCT has a superb correlation with intraoperative findings and is a valuable tool for preoperative assessment of temporal bone pathologies.

UNASSIGNED: Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is mostly caused by bacterial infection of the middle ear and antibiotics are generally used empirically, which may lead to the emergence of resistant bacterial strains. The objective of the study is to assess the bacteriological profile of and evaluate the antibiotic susceptibility of strains isolated in a tertiary care hospital in Shanghai, China.
UNASSIGNED: This study included 289 individuals with clinical diagnosis of CSOM. Middle ear purulent discharge was obtained with sterile swabs and cultured for bacterial pathogens. The susceptibility of the isolated microorganisms to antibiotics was assessed by a microdilution method.
UNASSIGNED: Bacterial pathogens were found in 223 (77.2%) of the 289 cases. A total of 236 strains were isolated. Staphylococcus aureus was the commonest bacteria (44.9%) followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (16.9%) and coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (8.5%). There were 18.9% methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA) among the obtained S aureus organisms. Multidrug-resistant P aeruginosa was found in 4 patients, making up 10% of all detected P aeruginosa. Staphylococcus aureus showed highest susceptibility to vancomycin (100%), then gentamicin (98.1%) and rifampicin (97.2%) and was most resistant to penicillin (61.3%) and erythromycin (50%). All isolated P aeruginosa showed susceptibility to piperacillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, and meropenem. High degree of resistance in P aeruginosa was observed toward levofloxacin (42.5%), ciprofloxacin (40%), and ceftriaxone (30%).
UNASSIGNED: The high prevalence of MRSA and fluoroquinolone-resistant P aeruginosa indicated cephalosporins and fluoroquinolone as primary empirical antibiotic drugs in CSOM to be cautiously used. In order to reduce the incidence of resistant strains and promote effective usage of antibiotics, all aural discharges should be cultured to determine antibacterial susceptibility patterns before treatment.

Chronic otitis media is a common disease of the developing world with persistent ear discharge, leading to major complications. This study describes the microorganisms isolated from the middle ear and nasopharynx of children with chronically discharging ears. Middle ear and nasopharyngeal swabs from 89 children were studied, and the microorganisms isolated were assessed for biofilm-forming ability. Methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus was common in the nasopharynx, while the middle ear showed predominantly pseudomonas and Methicillin-resistant S. aureus. Pseudomonas aeruginosa showed strong biofilm formation, whereas Escherichia coli, Proteus sp. and Providentia sp. were weak biofilm producers. S. aureus isolates were negative for biofilm formation.