Pseudamonas Ear Infections

[adamadamum]

Hi everyone. My DD has had constant ear infections since she had grommets last summer. Before that she had had about 3 or 4, with gaps of months in between. obviously grommets were advised because she developed glue ear, but I now regret agreeing to the op'as she seems to be on antibiotics (oral or in eardrop form) for between 2 and 3 weeks out of 4! The doc' DID inform me that ear infections were slightly more common with grommets, but this increase is plainly more than slight. Almost every time the gp takes a swab it cultures psuedomonas, which I read is hard to get rid of.

I worry about her ears being so badly colonised by psuedomonas that when her grommets fall out, and her eardrums close, she will still be getting the infection regularly but this time with lots of pain (the one good thing I suppose is grommets let the goo come out, no painful pressure on the eardrum).

I also worry about whether a Psuedomonal ear infection that is oozing all this nasty pus is very infectious. No-one seems to be able to give me a clear answer! She goes to an "inclusive" nursery, lots of other kids with special needs, some also with grommets so more vulnerable to ear infections as well.

I've been told that this bug is present all over the place, which makes me think it might be fine to send her in when her ear is oozing if she is fine in herself, but of course for it to get like that there must be an awful lot more of the bacteria than would be found in normal circumstances.

I have limited her baths to once a week or when really needed, as I cannot keep any kind of plug in her ear, or stop her from sticking her head in the bath water! We don't have a shower so it's just a wash at the basin most nights now, the only way to keep water out of her ears.

Anyone else have similar experiences? Please, please give me some feedback. Thanks xx

i did actually answer this for you before. i know that i could only do so from my perspective as a patient but you might have been better bumping your other message rather than reprinting it, as the thread might be of value to other posters.

Fotherington I am confused - I haven't seen a reply from you from my pseudamonas thread before!

Also, I posted it on this topic as well as sn board because I think it's not just kids with sn who can have pseudamonal ear infections or have grommets.

i was aitchtwooh. if you get an answer it's a good idea to bump that thread, for others who might need it.

you know that it's bumping up into active conversations, though, don't you?

ah, mystery solved, it was you, Aitc! Thanks for the advice by the way, meant to post a thanks. I am a bit of a novice to all this really, so a silly question, what is bumping?!!!

do you ever press 'active conversations' or do you go to 'topics'?
press active converstiaons and you'll see that it lists the last 60 to have messages added. so, if you put the same question onto two topics it will appear twice on active convos which is confusing to say the least. active convos is what most people use on MN so it's best to stick to one thread. some people don't include SN (i do, obviously) so if you want the broadest range to see it you could stick it in health or somewhere.
anyway, hope your daughter gets some relief, ear infections are hellish...

I hadn't looked on active conversations before! Now it all makes sense.....

welcome to MN, then.

My DS had a lot of nasty ear infections for the first 6 months or so that his first lot of grommets were put in, worse than those he was getting before the op, which made me doubt he should have had it at first. They were usually growing pseudomonas in them too. The thing about pseudo is that it will grow anywhere damp and slightly murky, in fact everyone has it in the house, around the sink, in plant pots etc, however much they clean.

Pseudo can be spread by direct contact but it will only grow in other damp places, so most people will be fine and at no risk, and it really isn't dangerous to a healthy person. It will jsut dry up and go away. However it does cause problems in people with chronic chest conditions (doesn't mean your DD is at risk of getting a chest problem with/without pseuodomonas just because she is growing it in her ears.)

I am a bit obsessed with pseudomonas (no kidding? because DS1 (not the glue ear one!) has cystic fibrosis and so IS at risk from it. At the time DS2 used to grow it in his ear, DS1 had never shown positive for pseduo on any cough swab/sputum sample so I was obsessive about keeping them apart (not easy!) because the last thing I needed was a "pseudomonas factory" in the house! (Most people with CF will end up with it and his lungs have since become colonised but he remains well with excellent lung health despite the CF and it's highly unlikely he caught it from DS2's ears because the first time he grew it - that we know of - was years later.)

Anyway, DS2's infections, pseudomonas or otherwise, went away entirely about six months after the first op. He eventually needed another set of grommets but never went back to have nasty pussy ears.. just got a few minor infections a year or so after the grommets had fallen out so it was considered necessary to put grommets back in. However, these have now been gone for over a year and he has no fluid in his middle ear at all and his hearing is normal (yay!).. it seems he has finally grown out of his glue ear tendancies (he is 6) which, I understand, is quite normal and usual.

Thanks Aitch. Thanks Shiny! Sounds like you have had reason to learn as much as poss about the nasty bug. Do you think it's ok to send my dd to nursery though, where other kids have grommets (lots of other sn kids there)and a few gastrostomies? (although they are less likely to have contact with my dd's ear!). I know it's hard for a healthy person to catch, my ds has only had 2 ear infections in 2 1/2 yrs, none since dd has had this problem!

I have just reminded myself of another thing that concerns me, my dd has a gastrostomy and I am dreading her getting Pseudomonas in that too.

Anyway, long may your two remain healthy!

Adamadamum give your surgery a ring and ask them what they think; I don't really feel qualified to say whether I think your DD should go to nursery or not. You could also ask for advice re your concerns about pseudo getting into the gastrostomy (can understand your worries on this) but I would imagine that keeping it covered with clothing at all times would be the answer; maybe by getting all-in-one vests like babies wear. They are harder to get hold of in bigger sizes but it is possible as I buy them for DS2 (who is still in nappies). If you need to know where to order them I will previde a link; just let me know although I think you can still buy them age 2-3 in Adams (or you used to be able to..)

It's a pain isn't it! It won't last forever though; grommets do do their job and chances are her ears will recover. Wishing you a healthy household also

Hi Shiny, thanks for advice. Our gp's surgery doesn't seem to ever give us a straight answere - I have aleady asked.

I always put her in a bodysuit, but we are now struggling with sizes. At the moment we are making do with a knd of body suit extention thing, I think I got them from Perfectly Happy People or from Bump 2 3 but I am not sure. Can't remember where I saw it but recently got info on where stocks size 2 - 3 yr bodysuits - I plan to get some come next dla payment.

It was agreed all along when starting nursery that she would have her mickey button hidden (kids being inquisitive, only natural)though at home she has becone obsessed with playing with it, and whatever clothes i manage to get on her, guess what, she strips off as soon as she can!

You can order all in one vest from Fledglings see here but can't see their online catalogue at moment. You can contact them and ask though and ask about the vests though. They are lovely quality. DS is wearing some years olf (I bought them HUGE!)

Thanks Shiny, do you have an idea how much they cost? Obviously the price would be a little higher now but it would give me an idea, just need to have a rough idea. Thanks.

I think I last paid about £6 a vest but that was for age 6 - 8. I will see if I can find the online catalogue/price list.

Not that cheap then! But if I get a size that will last her some time then I guess it will be worth it.