Determination of Antimicrobial Sensitivities of Different Microorganisms in Post Surgical Wound Infection

Abstract

Background :In this era of availability of multiple antibiotics, still surgical site infection poses a great challenge to surgeons in
managing complicated wounds. Antibiotic resistance is also a big challenge resulting in increased morbidity and mortality. This
study was done to get an insight of the sensitivities of microbes in our population and to get how much antibiotic resistance exist in
our population.
Objective: Antimicrobial sensitivity of different organisms in surgical site infection.
Material and Methods: This cross sectional descriptive study was carried out at Department of Plastic Surgery, Saidu Teaching
Hospital Swat and Northwest General Hospital and Research Center Peshawar, between January 2016 and February
2018.Laboratory services of Hyatabad medical complex were used. Seventy-five patients with SSI were included in the study and
antimicrobial sensitivity of different organisms was determined by culture and sensitivity through disc diffusion method. Organisms
were also stained for identification
Results: Out of 75 patients, 61 (81.3%) were males while 14 (18.7%) were females. The mean age of the patients was 31.7 ± 16.9
years. The most common age group was between 14-40 years (n=42, 56%). Minimum interval between surgery and development
of infection was four days while maximum was 22 days, with the mean of 7.5 ±3.2 days.
Most common site of wound infection was lower limb (n=25, 34.7%) followed by upper limb (n=19, 25.3%).
Staphylococcus aureus was the most common isolate (n=25, 33.3%) followed by Escherichia coli (n=15, 20%) and Pseudomonas
species (n=10, 13.3% %).Polymicrobial growth was present in 8 patients (10.7%).Drug sensitivity pattern of Staphylococcus
aureus showed that Vancomycin and Linezolid were active against 100% of isolates followed by Fucidic acid 84
%.Staphylococcus aureus was highly resistant to Penicillins. E.coli isolates were sensitive to Meropenem in 100% cases while
sensitivity to Amikacin and Ciprofloxacin was 60%.
Conclusion: Commonest organisms isolated from surgical wound infections were Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and
Pseudomonas species. Isolates of staphylococcus aureus were sensitive to Vancomycin and Linezolid while E coli was sensitive to
Meropenem in 100 % cases .