Liječnički vjesnik, Vol. 137 No. 9-10, 2015.
Review article
MIDDLE EAR INFECTION
Martina Maričić
Zrinka Bošnjak
Srećko Branica
Abstract
Middle ear infection is one of the most common childhood infections and the leading reason for antibiotic prescriptions. Although the etiological diagnosis is rarely discovered, successful identification of pathogens depends on properly collected sample, chosen method and microbiological analysis made on time. The most common bacterial pathogen is Streptococcus pneumoniae. Others include Haemophilus influenzae, Moraxella catarrhalis and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, known as the most common bacterial pathogen of chronic inflamations. Viral or polimicrobial upper respiratory tract infections often precede this infection. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines given during infancy decrease rates of acute middle ear inflammation. It is a self-limited disease with rare complications. The best treatment is watchful waiting for two days followed by amoxicillin during 7 days, only if it is necessary. If there is resistance, then combination of amoxicillin and beta lactamase inhibitor is second line. The best choice for patients allergic to penicillin are macrolides. Antibiotic treatment has contributed to frequent relapses and increase of multi-drug resistant pathogens by permitting their colonization, which eliminates protective nasopharyngeal flora.
Keywords
Otitis media – microbiology, diagnosis, drug therapy; Respiratory tract infections – complications; Nose – microbiology; Nasopharynx – microbiology; Straptococcus pneumoniae – isolation and purifi cation; Haemophilus infl uenzae – isolation and purifi cation; Anti-bacterial agents – therapeutic use; Amoxicillin – therapeutic use; Pneumococcal vaccines – therapeutic use; Vaccines, conjugate – therapeutic use
Hrčak ID:
172732
URI
Publication date:
29.10.2015.
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