Download Otitis Media

Otitis Media
Miranda Whittington and Emilee
O’Brien
What is Otitis Media?
• Infection of the middle of the ear
– causes an ear ache
• Complication of a number of diseases
How
• Pathogens cause pus around the eardrums
– put pressure on it causing it to inflame
• The atenoids are larger in children
– can interfere with the opening of the eustachian
tubes
Who does it affect?
• Children more than adults
– Kids eustachian tubes are shorter and more
horizontal than adults, which allows the
bacteria and viruses to find their way into the
middle ear more easily.
– The auditory tube connecting the middle ear to
the throat is smaller in children
Causative Agent
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•
•
•
•
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35% S. pneumoniae
20-30% H. influenzae
10-15% Moraxella catarrhalis
8-10% S. pyogenes
1-2% S. aureus
About 3-5% of cases no bacteria can be
detected
Popularity
• 85% of kids before age of 3
• Half of doctors visits for kids
• 8 million cases a year in the U.S.
Treatment
• Doctors always assume that bacteria is the
cause
• Accounts for ¼ of prescriptions of
antibiotics
• Surgery: Myringotomy
Antibiotics
• Penicillins
– Amoxicillin (first choice)
Vaccine
• For S. pneumoniae
• Eliminates 6-7% of cases of Otitis Media
every year
• Recommended vaccine for children
Sources
• http://kidshealth.org/parent/infections/ba
cterial_viral/otitis_media.html
• http://www.medicinenet.com/otitis_medi
a/article.htm
• Microbiology Textbook Page 716