An overview of the microflora of the patients admitted in an Ear Nose and Throat tertiary hospital from Romania

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this retrospective study is to describe clinical, epidemiological and bacteriological findings on the Ear, Nose and Throat infections from patients admitted in a tertiary hospital from Romania, which might bring supportive data for the management of the ENT patients.

Methods

Clinical data from 146 patients admitted in a clinic from Romania, between February 2016 and April 2018 were collected from the official registries of the Microbiology Laboratory, where the collected samples were processed by classical microbiological methods.

Results

From 164 analyzed biological samples, 74 were suggestive for infection. Methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus was the most prevalent bacterial isolate, followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa. There were 26 different species of microbes. Out of a total of 77 bacterial isolates, 48 were Gram positive and 29 Gram negative. The study showed that 11 ear discharge samples were positive in female and male patients. Upper respiratory tract exudates were positive on 3 females and on 17 males. There were 7 positive pus samples from females, and from 25 males.

Conclusions

Men were more affected by Ear Nose and Throat infections, caused by bacteria mostly from the genus Staphylococcus and Pseudomonas. A careful collection of the samples is important to reduce the contamination with commensal microflora. Because viruses are not easily detectable, an attentive clinical examination has to be followed. A careful assessment of the clinical status of the patients will reduce the load on bacteriology laboratory. In specific cases, a negative bacteriological result can prove as an exclusion diagnostic.