Prevalence and Antimicrobial Susceptibilities of Bacteria Isolated from Sternal Wound Infections after the Coronary Artery Bypass Graft

Sternal ulcer infection is one of the complications of coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery that although it has a low prevalence, but complications can be serious and risky for the patient. Infection occurs at 4 to 5 percent of people who are undergoing cardiac surgery. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence rate and antibiotics susceptibility of sternal ulcer infection in patients with CABG surgery in Imam Ali Hospital Kermanshah, Iran, from March 2012 to February 2015.
This descriptive–analytic study was performed on 345 of CABG during 3- years period from March 2012 to February 2015 in Imam Ali Hospital Kermanshah, Iran. Sternal wound secretion samples of suspected patients were cultured and the bacterial identification tests were performed. Also, antibiogram test was done on the grown strains and antibacterial resistance patterns were determined. Statistical analysis was performed using the SPSS 16.
Of 345 CABG surgeries, 17 patients had positive culture. The frequencies of the isolated strains include: Staphylococcus aureus with 4 cases (23.53%), Staphylococcus epidermidis with 4 cases (23.53%), Escherichia coli with 3 cases (17.64), Klebsiella pneumoniae with 3 cases (17.64), and Pseudomonas aeruginosa with 3 cases (17.64). The highest sensitivity rate was for Vancomycin, Penicillin, Gentamycin.
According to the result of the study and other similar studies, the most current bacteria that causing sternal wound infections are gram-negative bacteria. Therefore, to eliminate improper prescribing of medications, damage to the patient, and waste a lot of cost and time, Identifying susceptibility of these organisms is essential.