Otitis externa.
No Thumbnail Available
Authors
Balai, Edward
Barry, Veronica
Bhamra, Navdeep
Issue Date
2021-03-31
Journal
Type
Article
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Peer-Reviewed Publication
Keywords
Anti-bacterial agents
Case report
Clinical practice
Differential diagnosis
Ear infection
Hearing loss
Middle aged
Otitis externa
Otoscopy
Pain
Peer-reviewed article
Primary care
Pseudomonas infections
Risk factors
Topical administration
Staphylococcal infections
Case report
Clinical practice
Differential diagnosis
Ear infection
Hearing loss
Middle aged
Otitis externa
Otoscopy
Pain
Peer-reviewed article
Primary care
Pseudomonas infections
Risk factors
Topical administration
Staphylococcal infections
Journal Title
British Medical Journal (BMJ)
Volume
372
Issue
Begin page
End page
Abstract
No abstract available.
A 57 year old man presents to his general practitioner with a 3 day history of severe right sided ear pain, reduced hearing, and discharge. He is a self-employed car mechanic with a small business, and has been absent from work for the past two days because of the pain and subsequent lack of sleep. He has hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Otitis externa is an infection of the skin of the outer ear canal which typically presents with severe otalgia with or without ear discharge and reduced hearing. It is a common condition with an annual incidence of 1% that affects 10% of the population during their lifetime. In 98% of cases the cause is bacterial, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus the most common pathogens. Otitis externa often causes severe pain and can have a major impact on quality of life, disturbing sleep, and the ability to work or exercise.
A 57 year old man presents to his general practitioner with a 3 day history of severe right sided ear pain, reduced hearing, and discharge. He is a self-employed car mechanic with a small business, and has been absent from work for the past two days because of the pain and subsequent lack of sleep. He has hypertension and type 2 diabetes. Otitis externa is an infection of the skin of the outer ear canal which typically presents with severe otalgia with or without ear discharge and reduced hearing. It is a common condition with an annual incidence of 1% that affects 10% of the population during their lifetime. In 98% of cases the cause is bacterial, with Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus the most common pathogens. Otitis externa often causes severe pain and can have a major impact on quality of life, disturbing sleep, and the ability to work or exercise.
Citation
Barry V, Bhamra N, Balai E, Maung S. Otitis externa. BMJ. 2021 Mar 31;372:n714. doi: 10.1136/bmj.n714. PMID: 33789841.