Current antibiotic susceptibility profile of the bacteria associated with Surgical wound infections in the Buea health district in Cameroon

Abstract

Background: Most surgical wounds seen in clinical practice in the Buea Health District, Cameroon are infected prior to arrival or while they are in the hospital. Sometimes the infection necessitates a combination of local wound site measures and systemic antibiotherapy to properly manage the patient.
Objective: To identify the current antibiotic susceptibility profile of the common germs that cause surgical wound infections in the Buea Health District of Cameroon.
Methods: A total of 2120 specimens comprising swabs from burns, ulcers, open or post-operative wounds were collected from hospitalized patients attending health institutions in Buea. The samples were collected from different anatomic sites of the patients. Cultures were effected from the specimens and bacteria isolated from infected wounds using standard microbiological techniques. Antibiotic susceptibility of the different isolates was determined.
Results: Majority (79.8%) of the wounds were infected with pathogenic bacteria. The germs globally showed multi resistant patterns to commonly used antibiotics in the study area, especially to co-trimoxazol, doxycycline, chloramphemicol, ampicilline and aztreonam. However appreciable sensitivity was noted to ofloxacillin, perflacin, and ceftriazone.
Conclusion: This study has revealed ofloxacin as the only antibiotic to which all the isolated bacteria from infected wounds were sensitive in the study area.

Keywords: Wound infection, Antibiotic susceptibility profile, Buea Health District, Cameroon