Antibiogram of Aerobic Bacterial Isolates Obtained from Patients With Ear Infection in a Tertiary Health Care Facility at Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria

Introduction: Ear infections, particularly otitis media, represent a common health concern globally, impacting individuals across diverse demographics. In developing countries like Nigeria, the prevalence and incidence of ear infections and demographics is not well documented. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, bacterial etiology, susceptibility patterns, and associated factors of ear infections among patients presenting with otitis symptoms thus contributing to the wealth of available knowledge on ear infections. Methodology: This study evaluated 43 patients who visited the Ear, Nose and Throat clinic in the University of Benin Teaching Hospital for washing and check-up of their ear. Patient data and specimen were obtained at the study centre. Microbiology analysis as well as antimicrobial susceptibility and Minimum Inhibitory Concentration determination were carried out in the specimen at the Pharmaceutical Microbiology and Biotechnology laboratory of the Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Benin, Benin City, using standard techniques. Results: Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeroginosa accounted for the most predominant isolates from the specimens obtained from participants with vary susceptibility to commonly used antibiotics. Furthermore, results obtained revealed the presence of Klebsiella oxytoca and Enteriobacteria in the ear of respondents which is in contrast to what already exist in literature. Conclusion: The study demonstrated the activity of specific antibiotics against bacteria isolates from ear infections both Gram-positive and Gram-negative present in the ear of patients in the study center.