MICROBIOLOGY OF OTITIS MEDIA IN CHILDREN IN ILORIN, KWARA STATE, NIGERIA
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Date
2022-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Advanced Academic Research
Abstract
Otitis media (OM) is an inflammatory disease of the mucosal lining of the middle ear that
is frequently caused by the accumulation of fluid usually behind the blocked Eustachian
tube. Otitis media is a serious healthcare concern worldwide, especially among children,
leading to diverse health related problems and discomfort.It is a huge burden, not only
because of the distress it causes the patient and their family, but also because of the
substantial economic challenges it imposes on the health care system.This study was
conducted specifically to determine the prevalence of bacteria associated with Otitis media
among children in Kwara state and also to determine the risk factors predisposing children
to Otitis media in Ilorin, Kwara state. Middle ear swab samples were aseptically obtained
from the consented participants observing international best practices. A total of 400
children aged 0- 10 years who presented to the study area with signs and symptoms of OM
including those at the children out–patient department and those attended to at the
otorhinolaryngology clinics of General Hospital Ilorin who also conformed to the inclusion
criteria were included in this study. The specimens were cultured immediately following
standard operating procedures to isolate, characterize and identify the various bacterial
species present in the samples and also, antibiotic susceptibility testing was performed on the
pure cultures to demonstrate the sensitivity and resistance of specific antibiotics to the
bacteria isolates. Out of the four hundred samples collected from the middle ear of the
children participants, 172 (43.0%) of the samples showed significant bacteria growth and
228(57.0%) showed no growth. The highest OM prevalence was observed in children aged0-
2 (59.3%) and least among children aged 7-10 years with a prevalence of 9.3%. OM was
more prevalent among the female participants in this research (53.5%) than the male
counterparts (46.5%) the commonest bacteria agent of OM was Escherichia coli (52.3%) and
Pseudomonas aeruginosa accounted for the least infection with a prevalence of (10.7%),
Rural dwellers had more OM than urban dwellers. Varying degrees of susceptibility
variation was observed among the antibiotics used in this research. OM is still a major
health concern among children especially those in rural communities living in crowded
environments with poor sanitation. Hence it is imperative for Government to improve
awareness about OM and improve the living condition of citizens especially those residing in
the rural communities. Proper sanitary practices should also be advocated in schools,
daycare facilities and homes in order to mitigate the menace associated with OM.
Keywords: Otitis media, middle ear, Kwara State, ELISA. Microorganisms, children