title: Pathogenic microbiological flora recovered from ear, nose and throat specimens in a regional hospital in Kosovo.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  to investigate the recovery of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and parasites isolated from ear, nose and throat specimens in large population group in a secondary health care institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  retrospective study results of all microbiologic cultures submitted from the outpatient clinic of a large, secondary health care practice, for the time period January 2001 until December 2005 were identified from a microbiologic specimen database. The results from these cultures were entered into a database, tabulating site from which the culture was taken, from whom the material was sent and the type of organism recovered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  from a total of 17,362 specimens, 88% results in the normal bacterial flora. Remaining 12% were pathological bacterial, fungal and parasite flora: 1218 from ear specimens, 376 from nose and. 474 from throat specimens. In 40% of cases material was sent by primary health care provider, in 52% of cases material was taken during systematic screening and only in about 8% the material was sent from an ENT specialist. the most frequent pathogens isolated from ear specimens are Staphylococcus saprophiticus and aureus, 24.6 and 17.7%, followed by Pseudomonas auriginosa in 13.2%; from nose specimens the most often isolated pathogenic bacteria is Staphylococcus aureus in 52.4%, Streptococcus spp. in 16% and Branhamella in 13% of nose specimens. From the throat specimens Staphylococcus aureus in 48.7%, Enterococcus in 13.3%, Streptococcus beta-haemolyticus gr. A in 11.8% and Streptococcus beta-haemolyticus gr. B in 8.4% of cases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Staphylococcus spp, Pseudomonas, Escherichia and Streptococcus spp. are leading pathogens from ear, nose and throat specimens, so further investigation on appropriate antibiotics use and bacterial resistance will be welcome.
authors.affiliation: Main Family Medicine Centre, Regional Hospital of Gjilan, Kosovo. amadeus_am@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Zejdush
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Tahiri
authors.forename: Aziz
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mustafa
mesh_terms: D001424:Bacterial Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D019992:Databases as Topic; D004423:Ear / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D009181:Mycoses / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D009666:Nose / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D010614:Pharynx / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000473:pathology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000382:microbiology; D015022:Yugoslavia