Abstract
Data from Latin America describing the potential differences among children with unilateral
or bilateral otitis media are scarce and needed in order to implement appropriate
prevention actions and specific antimicrobial recommendations. The present study analyzed
the demographic and microbiologic characteristics of 1,427 Costa Rican children with
unilateral and bilateral otitis media in whom a tympanocentesis was performed between
1992 and 2006 (median age: 23 months; range two to 150 months). There were no significant
differences in the demographics, microbiology and antimicrobial susceptibility among
middle ear fluid isolates obtained from both populations. The only significant finding
was observed in children with Moraxella catarrhalis otitis media that was observed more frequently than other bacterial pathogen in the
middle ear fluid of children with unilateral acute otitis media that were < 24 months
of age and during the rainy season.
Keywords
Unilateral otitis media - bilateral otitis media -
M. catarrhalis
