Ear infections

Syndrome	Microbiology	Clinical Manifestations	Treatment
Otitis externa	Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus	ear pain with drainage from canal, can be pruritic	topical neomycin/polymixin/hydrocortisone or fluoroquinolone/hydrocortisone
Malignant otitis externa	Pseudomonas aeruginosa	severe ear pain and discharge from canal, mastoid pain and tenderness, can have cranial nerve deficits	systemic antipseudomonal antibiotics with surgical debridement
Otitis media	Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae	pain with inflamed, bulging tympanic membrane, may have decreased hearing and fever	amoxicillin, or cephalosporin or fluoroquinolone if allergic
Mastoiditis	Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae	ear pain, fever, recent/recurrent otitis media	same as for otitis media, but may require surgical debridement