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Have Burst Eardrum. Noticed Swelling, Blood And Yellow Fluid Discharge. Worrisome
Question: my 7 yr old has a burst eardrum. She woke up Monday with blood and yellow fluid draining from her ear. I took her to a doctor within the hour and she was given ear drops and a zpac. Today's Friday and her ear is still draining yellow fluid with a tint of blood. She never complained of her ear hurting before it burst but now she can't stand for it to be touched. I should also tell you that even though the doctor diagnosed her with a burst eardrum, the doctor couldn't even see her eardrum for all the swelling. My concern is the bleeding. It's been 5 days on antibiotics and eardrops and we're still changing cotton every 30 minutes! Should I be worried?
Hi,
Thank you for your query.
1. From your description, this seems to be an AOM (Acute Otitis Media).
2. As long as it is only a blood tinged ear discharge, it is fine. If the bleeding is a lot, then it is due to a large amount of granulation tissue. Granulation tissue is a fleshy overgrowth of tissue which bleeds easily. it means that infection has spread into bone (osteitis).
3. She will require an ear swab of the discharge to be sent for bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, decongestanst, ear drops and mucolytic medications.
4. Usually the ear pain reduces after the ear drum bursts as the pressure is released.
Copious ear discharge is common but rarely at the frequency you are describing. Continuous blood stains should be investigated. The ear should be cleaned and the ear drum examined. This is usually difficult in young children without anesthesia.
5. Persisting sever pain is a sign of sever infection or inflammation. Do not hesitate to admit her for i.v. antibiotics if necessary. Another important point is to get an X-ray to check for Adenoid hypertrophy. This is a common cause in childhood.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Thank you for your query.
1. From your description, this seems to be an AOM (Acute Otitis Media).
2. As long as it is only a blood tinged ear discharge, it is fine. If the bleeding is a lot, then it is due to a large amount of granulation tissue. Granulation tissue is a fleshy overgrowth of tissue which bleeds easily. it means that infection has spread into bone (osteitis).
3. She will require an ear swab of the discharge to be sent for bacterial culture and antibiotic sensitivity, antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, decongestanst, ear drops and mucolytic medications.
4. Usually the ear pain reduces after the ear drum bursts as the pressure is released.
Copious ear discharge is common but rarely at the frequency you are describing. Continuous blood stains should be investigated. The ear should be cleaned and the ear drum examined. This is usually difficult in young children without anesthesia.
5. Persisting sever pain is a sign of sever infection or inflammation. Do not hesitate to admit her for i.v. antibiotics if necessary. Another important point is to get an X-ray to check for Adenoid hypertrophy. This is a common cause in childhood.
I hope that I have answered your queries. If you have any further questions, I will be available to answer them.
Regards.
Note: Consult an experienced Otolaryngologist / ENT Specialist online for further follow up on ear, nose, and throat issues - Book a Call now.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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