Despite the fact that acute otitis media (OSA) is quite common in children under 2 months of age, the amount of data on etiologically significant pathogens is limited.

The objective of the study, led by Israeli scientists, was to analyze the etiologically significant pathogens, their sensitivity, the clinical manifestations and the frequency of severe bacterial infections in children under 2 months of age with CCA and determine the relationship between systemically isolated microorganisms and isolated from the separated middle ear. The results of the study were published in the July issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

The study retrospectively reviewed the medical history of 137 children with CCA less than 2 months old who sought help from Soroka University Medical Center from January 1995 to May 1999. All children underwent tympatocentesis.

The mean age of the children was 38.7 ± 13 days. 112 of 137 (82%) patients were hospitalized. 6 children (4%) were 0-2 weeks, 27 (20%) 2-4 weeks, 46 (34%) 5-6 weeks and 58 (42%) 7-8 weeks. Fever (temperature above 38 ° C) was present in 96 children (70%). Bacterial meningitis, in which the pathogen was not isolated, was diagnosed in 3 patients. Bacteriological examination of blood and urine was positive in 1 and 6 children, respectively. None of the children without fever developed serious bacterial complications. 122 bacterial pathogens were isolated from the middle ear in 109 of 137 patients (80%): Streptococcus pneumoniae in 56 patients (46%), Haemophilus influenzae in 41 ( 34%), group A streptococci in 12 (10%), gram (-) microorganisms in 9 (7%), Moraxella catarrhalis in 3 (2%) and Streptococcus faecalis in 1 (1%). 11 (20%) of the 56 strains S. pneumoniae were insensitive to penicillin. Severe bacterial infections were diagnosed in 6 patients (4%).

Despite the fact that pathogens isolated from blood and urine were typical for this type of infection, various pathogens isolated from the middle ear were generally microorganisms excreted during ACC without any correlation between these two. pathogen groups.

Thus, the etiological structure of most cases of CCA in children under 2 months of age is similar to that of older children. TOC is not a prognostic sign of a high risk of serious bacterial infections in both febrile and children without fever under 2 months.