Bacteriology of wound infections

Abstract

The nature of the bacterial pathogens associated with wound infections was bacteriologically evaluated. Out of a total of eighty – one (81) swab samples from wound analysed, three samples were found negative, ie, no growth, representing a frequency of 4%. Seventy – eight (78) samples were found to be positive which represented a frequency of 96%. Eight isolates resulted from four samples that showed polymicrobial growth, while there were seventy – four isolates from monomicrobial growth. Among these positive isolates, thirty – five (35) were gram positives and forty – seven (47) were gram negatives representing frequencies of 43% and 57% respectively. Biochemical tests classified these bacteria into specie – levels that showed Staphylococcus species with highest incidence of thirty – five (35) isolates that represented a frequency of 44%, followed by Pseudomonas species with nineteen (19) isolates that represented a frequency of 24%. Proteus species with fourteen (14) isolates ranked third with a frequency of 18%. Klebsiella and Escherichia species with nine (9) and five (5) isolates had frequencies of 11.5% and 6.4% respectively. Most of these organisms showed more than 50% resistance to a greater number of the antimicrobial agents tested. The resistance rate of more than 50% by most of these organisms poses great challenge to medical care, and will adversely affect choice of treatment for severe infections, therefore , this calls for better and proper prophylactic measures, such as cleanliness, carefulness, as well as good diets.

Keywords: Bacteriology, Wound isolates, Antimicrobial agents and Susceptibility