Question

1. What is the most common bacterial organism that causes otitis media in children?

2. What is the organism's Gram-stain characteristic?

3. What signs or symptoms lead a practitioner to suspect otitis media in infants or a 3-month-old?

4. What drug would you use to treat this patient which has no known allergies to medications?

Answer 1

1) The most common bacterial organism responsible for Otitis media in children is Streptococcus Pneumoniae.

2) Gram stain characterstics of Streptococcus Pneumoniae are :-

A) It is Gram positive cocci.

B) Flame or lanceolate in shape.

C) Size - 1 micrometer

D) Arrangement- Pair with broad ends are opposite.

E) Motility - Non-motile

F) Spore - Non- sporing

3) Sign and symptoms in an infant or 3 month old are :-

A) Crying due to ear pain.

B) Unusual irritability shown by the infant or the 3 year old child.

C) Baby will have difficulty in sleeping or staying asleep.

D) Tugging of one or both the ears but it can be of many reasons and ear infections otitis media is one of them.

E) Ear discharge or drainage from ear.

F) Fever

G) Loss of appetite.

H) Poor response of sound towards the affected ear.

I)Sign- Erythema of the tympanic membrane.

4) Treatment would include-

A) Antibiotics like Amoxicillin.

B) Analgesic like Ibuprofen.