The microbiology of glue ear in Australian Aboriginal children

Objective:   To study the bacterial cultures of middle ear aspirates from 27 Aboriginal children with otitis media with effusion.
Methods:   Standard bacteriological techniques were used to analyse the middle-ear aspirates collected during surgery to insert grommets in 27 Aboriginal children. Swabs of the tympanic membrane were taken for comparison.
Results:   Forty-five aspirates were collected from 59 myringotomies. Positive cultures were obtained from 19 of these (13 children) with potentially pathogenic organisms identified in 11 children including Staphylococcus , Pseudomonas , Haemophilus influen z ae , Moraxella , Achromobacter, Enterobacter and Corynebacterium .
Conclusion:   This is only the second study to look at the bacteria in middle ear effusions in Aboriginal children. Streptococcus pneumoniae was notable in its absence as was found in a previous study.