Bacteriological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of pus aspirate in chronic suppurative otitis media patients

Chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) is a persistent inflammatory condition associated with chronic ear discharge. Pus aspirate from CSOM is a useful diagnostic material that provides information about the middle ear's microbiological landscape and directs treatment approaches based on patterns of antimicrobial susceptibility. This study aims to analyze the bacteriological profile and antimicrobial susceptibility patterns in CSOM patients. This retrospective cross-sectional study was conducted on 220 CSOM patients in a Tertiary Care Hospital in Rawalpindi. The pus aspirates of each patient were collected and sent to the laboratory using standard techniques, and the antimicrobial susceptibility test results were obtained from the medical record. Analysis was conducted using SPSS V. 26; a p-value < 0.05 was taken as significant. Most of the patients were male (56.4 %). Out of 220 patients, 116 (52.7 %) samples showed bacterial isolates, and the rest showed no growth. Pseudomonas (30.9 %) was the most common isolate, followed by Staphylococcus aureus ( S. aureus ) (14.5 %), Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) (4.5 %), and Klebsiella (2.7 %). Pseudomonas was less susceptible to most of the antibiotics with 100 % sensitivity towards tazobactam/piperacillin. The sensitivity of S. aureus to clarithromycin was 73.3 %, and moxifloxacin was the least susceptible (56.2 %). However, amoxicillin/clavulanate, methicillin, ceftriaxone, meropenem, vancomycin, and doxycycline were 100 % susceptible. Pseudomonas is the predominant bacterial isolate in patients with CSOM, exhibiting significant resistance to commonly used antibiotics. The findings highlight the pressing need for routine antimicrobial susceptibility testing to guide effective treatment strategies and address the emerging threat of multidrug-resistant organisms. • Pseudomonas aeruginosa is the most common isolate in CSOM with high antibiotic resistance. • Tazobactam/piperacillin is fully effective against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in CSOM. • Routine culture sensitivity testing is crucial for effective CSOM treatment strategies. • Rising multidrug resistance in CSOM demands targeted antimicrobial therapy.