Effect of Systemic Antibiotics on the Microbial Flora of the External Ear Canal in Hospitalized Children

[摘要] The effect of antibiotic therapy and hospitalization on the external ear canal flora was investigated in 131 children. Fifty-eight percent of the patients receiving antibiotic therapy had Gram-negative bacilli or yeasts in their external ear canal, compared with 17% of the patients who were hospitalized for ten days or longer and only 3% of the patients who were hospitalized for short periods. Antibiotic therapy is the major factor in determining the colonization rate of the external ear canal with potentially pathogenic flora. Children under 1 year of age seem to be the most susceptible group to this shift of flora.

[学科分类] 儿科学