Objective: To compare a retrospective cohort of nonhospitalized children with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) otorrhea with those with methicillin-sensitive S aureus (MSSA) otorrhea to determine the risk factors predisposing to MRSA otorrhea and the treatments used.
Design: Retrospective case-controlled series.
Setting: Tertiary pediatric care facility.
Patients: Seventeen children with MRSA otorrhea after bilateral myringotomy with tympanostomy tube insertion (BM&T) and 19 age- and sex-matched control subjects who demonstrated MSSA otorrhea. The average age at culture in MRSA patients was 52 months; in MSSA patients, 54 months. There were 8 boys and 3 girls in the MRSA group and 8 boys and 4 girls in the MSSA group.
Interventions: Oral, topical, and intravenous antimicrobial agents.
Main outcome measures: Antibiotic exposure and history of otitis media and routine antibiotic administration (topical, oral, or intravenous).
Results: The following findings were statistically significant (P < or = .06, Mann-Whitney test): (1) longer duration of antibiotic treatment after BM&T for patients with MRSA vs those with MSSA; (2) increased number of episodes of acute otitis media before BM&T in patients with MRSA vs those with MSSA; and (3) increased number of courses of antibiotics after BM&T in patients with MRSA vs those with MSSA.
Conclusions: Methicillin-resistant S aureus otorrhea is commonly seen as a community-acquired infection in otherwise healthy pediatric outpatients. Risk factors for development of MRSA otorrhea include the number of episodes of acute otitis media before BM&T and number of treatment courses and duration of antibiotic therapy after BM&T.