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

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.

Keywords: Bacteriology; Chronic leg ulcer; Wound swab