AKT-1545

AKT-1545

A 60-year-old male presents to his GP with complaints of severe ear pain. He reports experiencing pain and white discharge from his left ear for the past two weeks, along with a feeling of dulled hearing. The patient has a medical history of glaucoma, hypertension, and type two diabetes, with a recent HbA1c of 59 mmol/mol.

During the examination, the patient appears to be in discomfort. The right ear appears normal, but the left external auditory canal is swollen and painful to examine, with copious amounts of white discharge. There is no swelling or erythema affecting the pinna nor mastoid. Cranial nerve exam detects a conductive hearing loss in the left ear and a subtle inability to wrinkle the forehead on the left. The patient is afebrile with a blood pressure of 142/96 mmHg.

What is the most appropriate course of action for managing this patient’s symptoms?