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Bacterial colonization of pacifiers of infants with acute otitis media

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2007

Itzhak Brook  and
Alan E. Gober
Itzhak Brook*
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
Alan E. Gober
Affiliation:
Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC, USA.
*
Address for correspondence: Itzhak Brook, M.D., M.Sc, P.O. Box 70412, Chevy Chase, MD 20813-0412, USA. Fax: (202) 363-4253
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Abstract

The presence of aerobic and facultative anaerobic bacteria on the surface of pacifiers used by children with acute otitis media was investigated. The surface of 40 recently used pacifiers was swabbed after they were allowed to dry for five to six minutes. The swabs were processed quantitatively for the presence of aerobic bacteria. The antibacterial activity of the pacifier material was tested in vitro. Microorganisms were isolated from 21 (52.5 per cent) pacifiers. The number of colonies per pacifier varied between one and 35 (average six). The isolates included eight α-haemolytic streptococci, six Staphylococcus epidermis, five Candida albicans, five α-haemolytic streptococci, three Neisseria spp. and two Staphylococcus aureus. The pacifier material was shown to be inhibitory against S. aureus. This study illustrated that pacifiers do not contain high numbers of organisms and therefore are not likely to serve as a source of persistence of transfer of organisms.

Keywords

Otitis mediaInfant careMicrobiology
Type
Main Articles
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 111 , Issue 7 , July 1997 , pp. 614 - 615
Copyright
Copyright © JLO (1984) Limited 1997

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