How is otorrhea treated?
Treatment of otorrhea is aimed at eradicating bacterial infection and reducing the duration and severity of symptoms. Therapeutic options include oral antibiotics and antibiotic eardrops with or without glucocorticoids.
Is otorrhea serious?
Life-threatening conditions — Otorrhea in the setting of a traumatized or immunocompromised patient may indicate a serious life-threatening condition. Traumatic cerebrospinal fluid otorrhea — Cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) otorrhea is a serious sign in the setting of head trauma.
How do I confirm my CSF in otorrhea?
If a patient comes with watery otorrhea which is suspected to be CSF, β-2 transferrin assay would be beneficial for definite diagnosis of CSF otorrhea. β-2 transferrin analysis suggests high sensitivity and specificity for CSF. 17) Another useful test is a glucose test of the fluid being suspected to be CSF.
What is otorrhea a sign of?
When otorrhea is noted it is typically a sign of infection. When an acute ear infection causes a perforation of the ear drum, the hole is usually small and often heals on its own.
How do you get otorrhea?
Acute otorrhea is usually a result of acute otitis media or otitis externa, or a postoperative complication of tympanostomy tube placement. Acute otitis media can cause spontaneous rupture of the tympanic membrane, allowing purulent material to drain into the external ear canal.
What is otorrhea Wikipedia?
Otitis media#Otorrhea: infected drainage from the middle ear.
What is purulent otorrhea?
Ear drainage can be serous (thin and watery), sanguineous (containing blood), or purulent (full of pus). It may or may not smell foul. Vertigo, ear pain, fever, itching, ringing in the ear, and hearing loss are all symptoms that can accompany otorrhea. Many things can cause fluid to drain from the ear.
What is CSF otorrhea?
CSF (spinal fluid) otorrhea is a condition in which spinal fluid drains from the ear. Patients with CSF otorrhea often have hearing loss in the affected ear. There is a bone called the tegmen (“roof”) that separates the ear from the brain, and in rare instances, the bone can become very thin and wear away.
What is purulent drainage in ear?
Ear drainage can be serous (thin and watery), sanguineous (containing blood), or purulent (full of pus). It may or may not smell foul. Vertigo, ear pain, fever, itching, ringing in the ear, and hearing loss are all symptoms that can accompany otorrhea.
How is CSF treated in otorrhea?
Traumatic CSF otorrhea is often managed conservatively with stool softeners, head of bed elevation, serial lumbar punctures, or lumbar drainage. Occasionally, patients require operative management if conservative measures fail.
What causes CSF otorrhea?
Excessive CSF otorrhea can occur spontaneously, or it may result from neoplasms, infection, surgical interventions, or trauma to the temporal bone. Temporal bone trauma can lead to acute leaks through the fracture line or to delayed leaks resulting from obstruction of the cochlear aqueduct by soft tissue or bone.
What is the pathophysiology of otorrhea?
Otorrhea can result from external ear canal pathology or middle ear disease with tympanic membrane perforation. It can also occur after a significant skull injury.
What are the symptoms of otorrhea?
Otorrhea. Ear discharge (otorrhea) is drainage exiting the ear. It may be serous, serosanguineous, or purulent. Associated symptoms may include ear pain, fever, pruritus, vertigo, tinnitus, and hearing loss.
What is the treatment for otorrhea?
Some cases of otorrhea are due to water contamination; others are the result of AOM. Some cases also involve an inflammatory reaction to the tube itself. Treatment is the same: a topical polymicrobial-steroid suspension with or without an oral antibiotic, along with aural hygiene in the office.
Which physical findings are characteristic of otorrhea in children?
The physical examination and the history will differentiate among most causes of otorrhea in children. HPI encompassing full symptomology should be recorded, paying particular attention to the features of the drainage: color, frequency, onset, duration, amount, and odor.