DIABETIC FOOT ULCERS

COMMON ISOLATED PATHOGENS & IN VITRO ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY.

Abstract

(SUMMARY) Aim: To determine common pathogens isolated in diabetic foot ulcers & in vitro antimicrobial activity. Setting:
Muhammad Medical College Hospital, Mirpurkhas and Liaquat University of Medical & Health Sciences Jamshoro. Period: 1s t November
2007 to 30th June 2008. Research Methodology: Pus samples for bacterial culture were collected from 60 patients admitted with diabetic
foot infections. Anti-microbial susceptibility testing of aerobic isolates was performed by the standard disc diffusion method as recommended
by the National Committee for Clinical Laboratory Standards. Microbroth dilution test was arranged for susceptibility of anaerobic organisms
to metronidazole and amoxicillin/clavulanate. A vancomycin screen agar (6 Lig/ml) was used to detect vancomycin intermediate isolates
of Staphylococci. Results: Clinical grading and bacteriological study of 60 patients revealed, 44 (73.33%) patients had gram-negative
organisms, & Pseudomonas aeruginosa was the most common. While 16 (26.66%) patients had gram-positive organisms & Staphylococci
was the most common organism. Infection with anaerobes was observed in one patient (1.66%). Both gram-positive and -negative organisms
were seen in 8 (13.33%). Pseudomonas aeruginosa & S.aureus exhibited a high frequency of resistance to the antibiotics tested. All the
isolates were uniformly susceptible to fosfomycin, levofloxacin, amikacin and vancomycin. Conclusions: Pseudomonas aeruginosa,
Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis and Proteus were the most common causes of diabetic foot infections
in this study. And the rate of antibiotic resistance was 66.66% among the isolates. All the isolates were uniformly susceptible to fosfomycin,
levofloxacin, amikacin and vancomycin.