Microbial Profile of wound infections in a Nigerian Teaching Hospital

Abstract

Background: This study set out to investigate the aerobic and facultative anaerobic microbial profile of wound infections in the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital.
Methods: A total of 202 wound swabs samples were randomly collected from both in and out-patients presenting at the facility. One hundred and thirteen(55.9%) of the samples were collected from males while
89(44.6%) were from females. The age of the patients ranged from 32 days to 80 years. Samples were processed following standard operating protocols in the microbiology laboratory.
Results: Of the 202 samples examined, 164(81.2%) had microbial isolates while 38(18.8%) yielded no growth. Among the 164 samples with positive microbial growth, 124(75.6%) had single isolates while
40(24.4%) had polymicrobial growth. Of the 113 males studied, 90(79.7%) had microbial growth while 23(20.4%) had no growth. Similarly, of the 89 females studied, 74(83.2%) had microbial growth while 15(16.9%) had no growth. Furthermore, the total microbial isolates from the study was 206. Gram-negative bacterial organisms accounted for 124(60.1%) as against 82(39.9%) from the Gram-positive’s (p<0.05). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequently isolated organism 64(31.3%) followed by the
Pseudomonads 28(23.3%) and Klebsiella spp 25(12.1). Organisms were more frequently isolated from patients within the age bracket 21-30 years, 93(45.2%) and least within age bracket 71 – 80 years, (0.5%).
Antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the bacterial isolates revealed that ceftazidime was the most effective with 143(70.1%) of the isolates being susceptible. Cotrimoxazole 23(11.3%) and tetracycline 17(8.3%)
were less effective against the isolates.
Conclusions: Constant bacteriological monitoring of the pathogens isolated in special disease conditions, and their antimicrobial susceptibility pattern are necessary for best practices in wound management.