Bacteriology of Different Wound Infections and their Antimicrobial Susceptibility Patterns in Owerri

Abstract

This study was carried out to determine the bacterial aetiologic agents of different wound infections in parts of Imo State their distribution in relation to type of wound and their in vitro antibiotic susceptibility patterns. Samples were collected and processed following standard microbiological techniques as part of the routine clinical management of the patients. The antibiotic sensitivity testing was done on pure culture isolates employing disc-diffusion method for some commonly used antibiotics. A total of 150 patients made of 89 (59.3%) males and 61(40.7%) females were sampled. A total of 175 bacterial isolates were recovered and the predominant bacteria isolated from the infected wounds were staphylococcus aureus (25.1%) pseudomonas aeroginosa (22.3%), Escherichia coli (13.1%) staphylococcus epidermidis (11.4%) Enterobacter species (6.9%), Klebsiella aerogenes(5.1%), proteus vulgaris (5.1%), proteus mirabilis (3.4%), streptococuss specie (1.7%), staphylococcus saprophyticus (1.1%) and Bacillus specie(1.1%). Most of the bacterial isolates were resistant to the microbials used with some species exhibiting 100% resistance to as many as 8 to 10 different antibiotics. This probably indicates that wounds in patients in Owerri were colonized by different bacteria including opportunistic bacteria with staphylococci being predominant. The multiple antibiotic resistant profile of the isolates recommends better clinical evaluation of antimicrobial therapy which would lead to more rational use of drugs.