Isolation And Sensitivity Pattern Of Bacteria Associated With Wound Infections Isolated From Patients At Federal Medical Centre Umuahia, Abia State.

ABSTRACT

Purulent materials were collected aseptically with the aid of sterile swab sticks from fiftysix patients with wounds at Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Umuahia, Abia State. The wound samples comprised of burns (8), post-operative (12), trauma (11), abscesses (14), and boils (Ii). These samples were subjected Co bacteriological analysis by streaking. A total of seventy-eight (78) isolates were obtained from the wound cultures. Single and multiple isolates were identified in 41(73.2%) and 15(26.5%). Staphylococcus aureus was the predominant microorganism (28.25%), followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (l7.9%), Kiebsiella species (14.1%), Enterobacter species (11.5%), Escherichia coli (10.3%), Streptococcus species (10.3%), and Proteus species (7.7%). Wound infection was more prevalent (67.9%) in males than in females (32.1%). The results of the antibiotics susceptibility tests showed that Gram-positive isolates were highly sensitive to gentamycin and streptomycin, Staphylococcus aureus (16.7%) had the highest resistance rate followed by Streptococcus species (13.3%). Pseudomonas (16.7%) showed the highest resistance amongst Gram-negative antibiotics; and all the Gram-negative isolates were sensitive to gentamycin. This study highlights the predominant bacterial pathogens and their antimicrobial profile and that gentamycin, streptomycin, and chiorophenicol may be the drugs of choice for the treatment of wound infections