External auditory canal microbiology and hearing aid use
- Çiğdem Tepe Karaca, a,
, 
, - Seniha Şenbayrak Akçay, b,
- Sema Zer Toros, a,
- Çağatay Oysu, a,
- Ayşegül Verim, a,
- Şaban Çelebi, c,
- Sebahat Aksaray, b
- a Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Haydarpaşa Numune Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
- b Department of Microbiology and Infectious Disease, Haydarpaşa Numune Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
- c Department of Otorhinolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Taksim Education and Research Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Fuente de la imagen: intimicro.blogspot.com
Abstract
Objective
The
aim of this study was to determine the presence and nature of bacterial
flora on hearing aids and the ears of this population. We wonder if the
microbiology of the ears with hearing aid wearing differs from the
other ear.
Setting
Tertiary referral center.
Design
A prospective, clinical study.
Subjects and methods
Three
samples were taken, one from the surface of the hearing aid's ear mold;
one from the hearing aid-wearing ear canal and the last one from the
ear without hearing aid. Samples were cultured to determine
qualitatively and quantitatively the pathogenic microorganisms present.
Results
A
total of 123 samples, obtained from 41 hearing aid users, were
analyzed. Methicillin-resistant coagulase-negative staphylococci,
methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Acinetobacter species, Staphylococcus auricularis, and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia were identified organisms.
Conclusions
We
identified unexpected microorganisms both on hearing aids and hearing
aid using ears. This study demonstrates that using hearing aid alters
the ear canal flora. To avoid otitis externa, it is important to use an
appropriate hygiene routine to clean and disinfect hearing aids and ear
molds.
Volume 34, Issue 4, July–August 2013, Pages 278–281
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