Frequency and Susceptibility Patterns of Staphylococcus aureus among Patients with Otitis Media in Khartoum State

Abstract

This is a descriptive study conducted in the Research Laboratory, Sudan University of Science and Technology in the period from February to March 2011. The aim of the study was to determine frequency of and susceptibility pattern of Staphylococcus aureus among patients with otitis media in Khartoum State. One hundred ear swabs were collected from patients with different ages and sexes suffering from ear discharge, the isolates were identified by morphological characteristics on culture and biochemical tests. And antimicrobial sensitivity was performed in vitro by disc diffusion method. The results revealed that, 27%Staphylococcus species (15 % S.aureus and 12% S.epidermidis), 53% other bacteria and 20% no growth. S. aureus was sensitive to vancomycin (100%), then ciprofloxacin (93%), amikacin (86%), methicillin (86%) and oxacillin (86%), norfloxacin (80%), cefuroxime (66%), co-trimoxazole (46%). Otitis media caused by S. aureus constitute a significant and a major health problem, affects children mainly and less common in adults. Further investigations are needed to study the etiology of otitis media and the resistance to antimicrobial agents.