Author(s)

Shedrack Obiora Ejiofor¹, Amarachi Divine Edeh^1,2, Chijioke Elias Ezeudu³, Thaddeus Harrison Gugu², Angus Nnamdi Oli^2*

¹Department of Paeditrics, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, Nigeria.
²Department of Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, Nigeria.
³Department of Paeditrics, College of Health Sciences, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Nnewi Campus, Nnewi, Nigeria.

Objective: The study assessed microbial etiology and multi-drug resistant profile of the pathogens isolated from children diagnosed of acute otitis media (AOM) at Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka. Method: Ear swab samples were collected aseptically from 40 children that visited the children out-patient clinic of the hospital. The samples were cultured within 20 minutes of collection and the isolates identified microbiologically. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was done by Kirby-Bauer’s disc diffusion method. Results: A total of 2025 children visited the hospital during the study period and 40 (1.98%) had clinical diagnosis of acute otitis media. Ten (25%) of the 40 samples did not yield any microbial growth. Children aged ≤one year had the highest prevalence of AOM (55%). Staphylococcus aureus (34.9%) was the predominant bacteria isolate followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (30.2%) while Candida krusei (14%) was the predominant fungi isolate. All the bacterial isolates were resistant to ampicillin and coamoxiclav. Staphylococcus aureus isolates were marginally susceptible to gentamicin (60%) and sparfloxacin (73.3%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were resistant to ceftriaxone, ciprofloxacin, streptomycin, cefuroxime, erythromycin and azithromycin. Nystatin and voriconazole had comparable effect (60%) against the fungal isolates and fluconazole was ineffective. Conclusion: The incidence of multiple antibiotic resistant bacteria associated with acute otitis media in the pediatric patient was very high. Empiric treatment of the infection in the community should be discouraged. AOM preventive strategies should be targeted on the very young children to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Acute Otitis Media, Antimicrobial Resistance, Tertiary Health Institution, Peadiatric Infection, Low-Income Country

Ejiofor, S. , Edeh, A. , Ezeudu, C. , Gugu, T. and Oli, A. (2016) Multi-Drug Resistant Acute Otitis Media amongst Children Attending Out-Patient Clinic in Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University Teaching Hospital, Awka, South-East Nigeria. Advances in Microbiology, 6, 495-501. doi: 10.4236/aim.2016.67049.