title: A microbiological study of acute otitis media in Bloemfontein.
abstract: Tympanocentesis was done on 36 patients (57 ears) with acute otitis media. Positive cultures were obtained in 65% of cases. Streptococcus pneumoniae was the most commonly isolated organism (25% of ears). There was a high incidence of Staphylococcus epidermidis infection (14% of ears); these organisms are considered to be true pathogens. Haemophilus influenzae seemed to be less common than in other series and in all our cases were non-producers of beta-lactamase. Penicillin and amoxycillin appeared to be equally effective and there seemed to be little difference between responses to cefaclor, erythromycin and co-trimoxazole.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D001419:Bacteria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000302:isolation & purification; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000382:microbiology*; D013019:South Africa