Bacteriological pattern of wound swab isolates in patients with chronic leg ulcer

Abstract

Fadeyi et al Chronic leg ulcers bacteriology Int J Health Res, December 2008; 1(4): e141p1 Reprinted from International Journal of of of of Health Research Peer-reviewed Online Journal is an online international journal allowing free unlimited access to abstract and full-text of published articles. The journal is devoted to the promotion of health sciences and related disciplines (including medicine, pharmacy, nursing, biotechnology, cell and molecular biology, and related engineering fields). It seeks particularly (but not exclusively) to encourage multidisciplinary research and collaboration among scientists, the industry and the healthcare professionals. It will also provide an international forum for the communication and evaluation of data, methods and findings in health sciences and related disciplines. The journal welcomes original research papers, reviews and case reports on current topics of special interest and relevance. All manuscripts will be subject to rapid peer review. Those of high quality (not previously published and not under consideration for publication) will be published without delay. The maximum length of manuscripts should normally be 10,000 words (20 single-spaced typewritten pages) for review, 6,000 words for research articles, 3,000 for technical notes, case reports, commentaries and short communications. Submission of Manuscript: The International Journal of Health Research uses a journal management software to allow authors track the changes to their submission. All manuscripts must be in MS Word and in English and should be submitted online at Abstract PURPOSE: To determine the pattern of bacterial pathogens and their antibiotic sensitivity profile in patients with infected chronic leg ulceration. METHODS: Sixty swab specimens obtained from chronic leg ulcer (CLU) patients were cultured aerobically and the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of the recovered organisms determined by the modified Kirby-Bauer disc-diffusion method. RESULTS: 47 (78.3%) of the ulcers were infected out of which 39 (83.0%) were culture positive. Most of the culture positive ulcers were on the distal third of the leg. The isolated bacteria from the wounds were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (33%), Staphylococcus aureus (24%), Proteus spp (15%), Klebsiella spp (13%), Citrobacter spp (13%) and Escherichia coli (2%). None of the patient without clinical evidence of wound infection had bacterial positive wound swab culture. All isolates were sensitive to third generation cephalosporin and floroquinolones but majority were resistant to ampicillin. CONCLUSION: Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus. Proteus spp, Klebsiella spp, Citrobacter spp and Escherichia coli sensitive to third generation cephalosporin and floroquinolones have been recovered from 78% of patients with chronic leg ulcers in a tertiary health facility in Nigeria.