Bacteriology and drug sensitivity of chronic suppurative otitis media at a central hospital in Zimbabwe.

A retrospective study was done on 173 cases of chronic suppurative otitis media at Harare Central Hospital. Using conventional pus swabs from the discharging ears only aerobic organisms were isolated in 155 cases. These were, in order of frequency, Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Lactose fermenting, Coliforms and Proteus. There were no anaerobes reported, unlike in other studies. Mixed infections were present in 48 percent of the cases. Penicillin G, Ampicillin, Tetracycline Sulphamethoxazole and trimethoprin which are commonly used when culture and sensitivity results are not available, were found to be less useful. Gentamyoin, Chloramphenical, Clindamyoin and erythromycin were more useful. More research needs to be done on the role of topical drugs in chronic suppurative otitis media.