system
Medical AI Inquiry: You were designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.
user
An 8-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department because of a 4-day history of severe, left-sided ear pain and purulent discharge from his left ear. One week ago, he returned with his family from their annual summer vacation at a lakeside cabin, where he spent most of the time outdoors hiking and swimming. Examination shows tragal tenderness and a markedly edematous and erythematous external auditory canal. Audiometry shows conductive hearing loss of the left ear. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's symptoms?
assistant
Infection with Pseudomonas aeruginosa
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