swollen outer ear

[specialmom]

My husband has had a chest cold for a couple of weeks but yesterday said his ear hurt.  I told him (as the bossy wife I am) to go to the doctor.  He couldn't yesterday due to meetings so let it go.  Today when he woke up, his ear looks horrible.  It is swollen, red and shiny on the lobe, going about half way up, around the front of it with a hard, red area right by where you go down the ear canal on the outside.  He did go to the doctor who I know personally and is a great, experienced doctor who looked at it and said he had NO idea what was going on.  My husband has started a high dose of antibiotic but is to watch and see if any additional swelling appears.  If it does, he is to go to the emergency room.  What do you think could be going on????

[Londres70]

At least, have him admitted as an observation.

[Londres70]

Hmmm.....sure sounds like he should be admitted getting those ATBs IV and then some.  

What's the NSAID?  

Warm Compresses?  I wouldn't recommend that.  

Make sure his head is elevated.  

Is he in pain?

Kay, I think he should go back to the hospital, but that will be your judgement call.

These situations can turn serious.  

[specialmom]

Ugh.  I'm trying not to freak out.  Deep breathing here.  

He's on a high dose of augmentin (amoxicillin/clavulenate) and bacrim.  The specialist we saw said he doesn't like to add steriods to cases like this (?????????).  He does want him to take a nonsteriodal in a very high dose though.  

I'm not the least bit confidant that we are under the right course of care here but am going to watch closely as you say.  

He is so miserable it is hard to watch.  We are putting warm compresses on it.  

I'm about pretty worried about him.  And will watch his breathing particularly closely.  Now I wish they had kept him too!!

[Londres70]

Plus, these infections can spread like wildfire.

They should have at least kept him as a 23 hour obs administering IV ATBs and some type of corticosteroid or antihistamine OTC.  

Definitely don't want this swelling spreading causing any problems with his breathing, etc.  

Watch him closely for sure.  

[Londres70]

Oh, that's terrible.  

They didn't keep him with the facial Cellulitis diagnosis?  These infections can definitely be really nasty and stubborn to treat.  

What are the two ATBs that were prescribed?  Any prednisone presribed as well?  

[specialmom]

We are back now and actually they think he had some type of staff or strep infection and the toxins from the infection caused a cellulitis.  He's on two antibiotics now and we have 24 hours for them to work or it is back to the hospital for IV antibiotics.  His ear looks like it is going to explode off his head and now it is running down his cheek.  

thanks for the response tschock.  I would have thought it some type of infected something too----  but it is so huge that I just couldn't figure out what.  

I'm hoping the drugs he is on will work so he doesn't have to be admitted into the hospital.  ugh.

[tschock]

Hope he's ok.
The only thing I can think of is some weird allergic reaction, and infection, some sort of pimple gone haywire, or a cyst of some type.

Not sure of what kind of spiders you have there, but I've heard of spider bites doing this sort of thing.

Please let us know what it is that they find. It may happen to others.

[specialmom]

Well, we are going to the emergency room in a bit.  

[specialmom]

bumping up to see if anyone has any ideas

[specialmom]

hoping someone can help me out.  quite worried.