Study of Microbiological Profile and Antibiotic Sensitivity Pattern of Ear Infections in Patients Attending a Secondary Healthcare Setting at Sirsi, Karnataka

Background: Ear infections are among the most common ENT disorders encountered in clinical practice. With the inadvertent use of antibiotics, antimicrobial resistance among otopathogens has become a major public health concern. Understanding the local microbiological profile and antibiotic sensitivity pattern is crucial for effective treatment and antibiotic stewardship. Aim: To evaluate the microbiological profile and their antibiotic sensitivity pattern in ear infections at a secondary healthcare setting at Sirsi. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study was jointly conducted by ENT department and Microbiology department of Dr. Lalita R Kamat Memorial Pathological Laboratory at Rotary Charitable Hospital, a secondary healthcare setting in Sirsi of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka. The data was collected from November 2022 to October 2025. A total of 100 patients were included in this study. The ear discharge collected with sterile swabs was subjected to Gram’s staining and culture of the causative organism. Susceptibility testing was done by the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method following CLSI guidelines. Results: Out of 100 ear swab results obtained, 79 % showed bacterial growth, 8% were fungal growth, 4% showed polymicrobial growth and 9% of cases showed no growth on culture. The most common microorganism identified was Pseudomonas aeruginosa (26.92%), followed by Staphylococcus aureus (22.11%). Aminoglycosides and fluoroquinolones showed great efficacy against Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus on antibiotic susceptibility testing while notable resistance was observed to several routinely used antibiotics. Conclusion: Regular surveillance of regional antimicrobial resistance patterns and implementation of rational antibiotic use are essential to improve the clinical outcomes and tackle the emergence of multidrug resistant microorganisms Key words: Ear infection, microbial isolates, sensitivity pattern, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus.