title: Demographics and microbiology of otorrhea through patent tubes failing ototopical and/or oral antibiotic therapy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Posttympanostomy tube otorrhea (PTTO) results in significant health care cost and decreased satisfaction with care. The authors reviewed PTTO failing initial ototopical and/or oral antibiotic therapy and microbiology/susceptibility data from cultures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Case series with chart review.
  
  
  METHODS
  A community university satellite ambulatory clinic and the outpatient clinic of a children's hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Review of 202 patients with 228 discrete episodes of culture-positive otorrhea from January 2004 to January 2009.
  
  
  RESULTS
  PTTO occurred an average of 13 months after tube placement. Median otorrhea duration was 21 days (mean, 42 days). A mean of 1.6 visits (range, 1-6) to the pediatric otolaryngology office was required for PTTO resolution. Ototopical therapy was reported used in 198 of 228 (87%) episodes of otorrhea prior to pediatric otolaryngology visit. Nearly 50% of patients were prescribed at least 1 or more courses of systemic antibiotics. Staphylococcus aureus accounted for 52% of the organisms cultured, with 57% methicillin-resistant S aureus (MRSA). S aureus resistance to clindamycin was high (49%) and resistance to levofloxacin was low (1.8%). MRSA was 68% clindamycin resistant, much higher than both ours and the children's hospital's clindamycin resistance rate of MRSA cultured from all other body sites.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PTTO that presents as having failed ototopical and/or oral antibiotics most commonly consists of S aureus, Streptococcus pneumoniae, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. MRSA is highly prevalent in this population. It is not necessary to culture PTTO that presents to an otolaryngology office, as resistance to levofloxacin was only 1.8%. It is unclear why the same fluoroquinolone ototopical therapy that failed initially is often successful in treating PTTO after otolaryngologist visit.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, Kansas 66160, USA.
authors.forename: Inessa
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Sykes
authors.forename: Rebecca
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Horvat
authors.forename: Rangaraj
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Selvarangan
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Newland
authors.forename: Julie L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Wei
mesh_terms: D000284:Administration, Oral; D000287:Administration, Topical; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005122:Exudates and Transudates / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000382:microbiology*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D055624:Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000628:therapy; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000382:microbiology; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents